Digital Hearing Aids - Which Is The Best For You?

Digital hearing aids - which is the best one for you?

Digital hearing aids are a vital part of life for many people, especially when they get older.

However, not all hearing aids are the same. The type of hearing aid you need would depend on your lifestyle and the degree of hearing difficulty that you're experiencing.

There are some digital hearing aids that can fit completely inside the ear canal so that they are barely visible from the outside. The main benefit of these is the way they look. They are very discrete, of that there is no doubt.

However, these hearing aids are mostly suitable for people with mild or moderate hearing loss. These in the ear hearing aids are sometimes more limited because their limited size prevents many of the more advanced hearing aid features, such as dual microphones and telecoils. The hearing aid market has improved way beyond the completely in the canal hearing aid capability.Another type of hearing aid is one that fits partly into the ear canal (ITC). This style is barely noticeable, but will maintain the important features that many people look for in the latest digital hearing aids. Some of these hearing aids come with a remote control that can help you control the volume and other advanced features of your digital hearing aid.

There are also digital hearing aids that fill the whole ear (full shell) which will do the same job as the ITC hearing aid, but usually uses a larger hearing aid battery, thus giving longer battery life. These are not as discrete as the previously mentioned hearing aids.

The last conventional style hearing aid is a BTE (Behind The Ear) which is the traditional hearing aid fitting, and the style that would come from the NHS in the UK. These are fairly large hearing aids, sitting on top of the ear with a tube and a mould sitting in the ear. These are the most noticeable hearing aids, but for some people with severe or profound hearing loss, they may be the best digital hearing aid choice.

The newest and most exciting development in hearing aid technology is the open ear hearing aid, incorporating RITE (received in the ear) technology. These open ear digital hearing aids are incredibly discrete, wonderfully clear sounding, largely problem free and very light and comfortable. These open ear hearing aids usually comprise of a tiny ‘pod' sitting on top of the ear, which houses most of the components and the battery, a small thin wire running from this into the ear, and a soft rubbery dome which houses the speaker unit and conveys the sound directly to the ear using a snug and comfortable fitting. The market leaders in this category of open ear hearing aids are considered to be Oticon hearing aids, Phonak and GN Resound. The Oticon Dual, the Phonak Audeo Yes and the ‘be' by Resound are the newest versions of open ear hearing aids.

Hearing aids are comprised of three components: the microphone(s), amplifier and speaker. The microphone is the part of the hearing aid that picks up the sounds that are emitted around you. The amplifier helps to increase the volume of the sound so that you are able to hear it. The speaker component of the hearing aid relays the enhanced sound to the ear so you can hear it at a level tailored for your individual hearing loss.

Another basic part is the hearing aid battery. They will need to be replaced from time to time in all digital hearing aids. Battery life typically last between a week and three weeks, depending on the size of digital hearing aid, and the amount of time it is worn per day.

These hearing aid batteries are easily available and inexpensive. Some hearing care companies will offer free batteries and service as part of their overall package. To find out which is the most suitable digital hearing aid for you, find a hearing care retailer who will offer a free hearing test and independent advice, including hearing aid prices.