Q: Some people are telling me I need a “Behind the Ear”, others say I’m better off with an “In The Ear” style hearing aid. There are so many I have no idea which to pick. Is one better than the other?
A: The options now for hearing aids are almost to the point of ridiculous. Trying to make a decision without the help of a professional is an exercise in frustration. The reality is there is no one right answer; a lot of different styles can work, but it depends on the hearing loss itself.
Last week I had a friend come by who had finally concluded that he could no longer wait to get his hearing assisted, even though I had been telling him for years that it was probably time, and he had something very specific in mind. He had seen advertisements for the Lyric and had a relative who was fit with mini-CIC hearing aids and he wanted one of those two. Period. We quickly realized that due to a small ear canal he was not a candidate for the Lyric, so I ordered him two mini-CIC hearing aids, with the caveat that when they arrived he would do a side-by-side comparison to a pair of small, open fit hearing aids. His hearing loss was typical of someone his age; relatively normal low frequency hearing which slowly drops to a moderate loss in the high frequencies. He also had no history of any aural surgery which means that this was all related to the cochlea, or as some people call it “nerve loss”. By closing off the ear canal, which is the problem with any hearing aid where everything is put into a single unit, we provoke something we call the “occlusion effect”. To get an idea, put your fingers in your ears and talk out loud. Most people will hear their voice much louder than they do normally, particularly people with either normal low frequencies or mild hearing losses, (although not limited to these), and that amplification of their own voice is caused by creating a resonant cavity. More severe losses, losses which occur as a result of middle ear or tympanic issues, (commonly referred to as conductive hearing losses), are MUCH less susceptible to the occlusion effect, mostly because the middle ear system is made more stiff by the condition, (more on that in a later article). For the severe losses, it’s a function of not having enough hearing left to hear the resonance.
I let my friend put on the mini-CIC’s first, programmed them to his loss and gave him a day to wear them. The following day I took them back and put on a pair of open fit BTE’s, and after 24 hours he told me to send the CIC’s back because he was keeping the open fit instruments.
Now this may not be the case for everyone, even people who have the same hearing loss. But I am telling you about this to point out something important; do your research, then talk to us about what you need. We know a LOT about these things, too much for the average person to find out by surfing the internet. We don’t mind questions, in fact my favorite clients are those who come in with all kinds of research and articles and ask for explanations as to why something would or wouldn’t work. And don’t be afraid to take advantage of the trial period; that’s why it’s there, so you get something that works for you and meets your needs as much as possible. Nothing will be 100% perfect, but there is definitely something out there that can help, and we can help you find it.