Some terms to learn about hearing aids and hearing loss

Sensorineural Hearing Loss - “nerve” deafness - involves damage to the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss can result from aging, prenatal and birth-related problems, viral and bacterial infections (respiratory infections, measles, scarlet fever, etc.) heredity, trauma, exposure to loud noises, use of certain drugs, fluid backup, or a benign tumor in the inner ear. The most common type of
hearing loss (accounting for almost 95% of cases), sensorineural hearing loss is usually
managed with hearing aids.

Completely-In-the-Canal (CIC) - are the smallest, least visible custom hearing aid. They are extremely compact yet contain enough power to assist mild to moderately severe hearing loss. CIC aids are virtually invisible to others when inserted into the ear.

In-The-Canal (ITC) - are larger than the CIC but still comprise a small hearing aid style. They offer wearers a less expensive option than CIC aids while maintaining much of their cosmetic appeal:
they, too, aren't easily noticed by others. The size allows for enough power to benefit patients
with a variety of losses.

In-The-Ear (ITE) - are larger still than the ITC and are custom instruments like the others. They fit securely in the outer ear and offer easy positioning and adjustment by the user. Other features include telephone pick-up coils and user-operator tone controls. The aids are also large enough to provide enough power to benefit a wide variety of losses.

Behind-The-Ear (BTE) - are hearing aids worn behind the ear and attached to a custom-made ear mold. They offer special programming and power as well as flexibility for use with phones and assistive listening devices. The aids are powerful enough to treat some of the most severe losses.

Digital Hearing Aid - digital hearing aids contain a computer chip that performs the amplifier work instead of the traditional analog circuitry. The aid actually functions as a miniature computer. The technology represents a major breakthrough because it greatly increases the amount of sound processing possible in a small space. The potential improvement to digital aids is exciting because this generation presents minimal distortion for a clearer, crisper quality. Such aids also have the ability to analyze the sound environment and adopt the amplification accordingly, thereby enhancing speech clarity. Some digital hearing aids have specific noise reduction strategies that are proven to be highly effective in helping people understand speech in background noise.

Open Fitting - Very small digital, behind-the-ear hearing aids that have a tube fitting with a soft plastic dome that allows many sounds to be heard normally. More limited fitting range than some other types, but for the right hearing loss, much easier to adapt to and wear than other styles.

Multichannel - programmable and digital hearing aids generally have distinctive frequency bands in channels that can be changed separately. The crossover frequency can be altered to change the frequencies in each channel. Such a feature can be especially helpful if you have distinct regions of hearing loss.

Multiple Memory - offers different listening modes that can be programmed almost to any listening situation, such as “home” or “crowd.” Such a feature is especially beneficial for people with active lifestyles with varying listening situations on a regular basis.