Understanding ITE Hearing Aids

When it comes to purchasing a hearing aid, it’s important to make sure you understand the choices out there and which best fit your needs. One of the choices you will make will be looking at the three most common types of device, behind the ear, invisible in the canal, and in the ear. Here, we’re going to look at the latter, helping you understand them, their pros and cons, and who they’re best suited to.

About ITE hearing aids

As the name suggests, in the ear hearing aids rest inside the ear. They do not reach as deep as invisible in the canal devices, but rather sit on the very edge of the ear canal. They’re designed using a custom mold made to fit your ear shape and come with twin microphone design that improves their general sound quality and amplification potential.

The advantages of ITE hearing aids

As mentioned, the twin microphone function of the ITE hearing aid means that they produce better sound quality and amplification in general. As such, they tend to be better suited to those with moderate to severe hearing loss. As they’re much smaller than BTE hearing devices and fit inside the ear, they’re also more discreet. This same property means that they are recessed, and less likely to get in the way of using your phone or wearing a headset. Lastly, they’re widely considered the most comfortable of all your hearing aid options. After all, they’re designed using a mold of your own ear, ensuring that they fit you perfectly.

The disadvantages of ITE hearing aids

No hearing aid is 100 percent perfect for all people. ITE devices have their own drawbacks, too. For one, because they sit in close proximity with the ear canal, they tend to attract more ear wax, dead skin, grease, and other dirt. As such, they need to be cleaned more regularly. This also means that they are more prone to needing repairs, though thorough preventative maintenance should keep that from occurring too often. Lastly, they are more prone to feedback, which is an issue that produces unpleasant loud noises when the microphone and receiver are out of position and too close to one another. Your hearing health professional can help with that, however.

Common features in ITE devices

As they are smaller on average, most ITE hearing aids do not have as many manual options as BTE devices. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have their own customization options. For instance, you can find devices with telecoil and Bluetooth features that help you hear better in public spaces like banks and connect to devices like smart TVs and smartphones, so the audio output is transmitted directly to the hearing aid.

Beyond helping you choose the hearing aid best suited to your needs, your hearing health professional can provide a range of helpful tips and useful services to help you get the best out of it. This includes troubleshooting and fixing most issues, so if you have any trouble with your hearing aid, don’t hesitate to make an appointment.