25 July 2022
These days, there are so many hearing aids to choose from. With a range of sizes, shapes, and technologies, choosing a hearing aid that’s right for you can be overwhelming.
So, to help you out, this article will discuss some of the best In-The-Ear hearing aids currently on the market, the different features that set them apart and the steps to take to discover which one is right for you.
When determining which hearing aid is right for you, a lot will depend on your type and severity of hearing loss, your lifestyle and what you hope to achieve from your hearing aid.
If you think you have hearing loss, the first thing to do is book a hearing test at your local Attune Hearing clinic. One of our audiologists will perform a comprehensive hearing test, discuss your level of hearing loss with you and help you decide whether an In-The-Ear hearing aid is suitable for you.
If your audiologist has advised you that an In-The-Ear hearing aid is best for your hearing loss and preferences, it’s time to decide which performs best. Before choosing, there are some things to consider, such as the comfort and appearance of the hearing aid.
Some questions to ask yourself include
By asking these questions, you can determine whether you want to use an app as a remote control for easy use of adjusting the volume control, different programs and other features, or whether you prefer to touch a button on your hearing aid to adjust these settings manually.
ITE hearing aids have had their limitations in the past and have been suited to only mild to moderate hearing loss. This is because they are worn inside the ear canal and have to be small enough to fit comfortably.
Unfortunately, this has meant that the more sophisticated technology used for microphones, Bluetooth and overall processing ability hasn’t been able to fit into the smaller ITE hearing aids, and a lot of this performance technology is either simplified or lost altogether.
However, we now have the equipment to produce smaller microchips with more advanced technology contained within. The smaller ITE hearing aids are improving and can suit those with more significant hearing losses.
To hear conversational speech in different environments and situations is one of the most desired and required features of any hearing aid. However, many people find that the sound of their voice can be undesirably loud and hollow when wearing their ITE hearing aids.
The leading hearing aid manufacturers for sound quality are Signia and Phonak, which have worked on improving sound quality by producing two directional microphones for their custom hearing aids. This feature enhances the speech you want to hear against unwanted background noise, resulting in clearer speech and better understanding.
Bluetooth and wireless connectivity have been a popular feature on mobile phones and computers for many years. However, they are now an important feature for hearing aids, too.
Most modern hearing aids are wireless and Bluetooth-enabled, allowing you to connect them to your mobile phone and other devices. Most ITE hearing aids now have wireless Bluetooth, which steam music or phone calls directly to your hearing aids without an added accessory.
However, if you choose a smaller style of ITE hearing aids, you can expect to have an added accessory, usually called a streamer. The streamer enables the sound from your mobile phone or another Bluetooth device to stream to your hearing aids.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, Phonak and Signia are the go-to manufacturers for compatibility of their hearing aids with most smartphones.
One of the best reasons to have wireless and Bluetooth hearing aids apart from streaming phone calls are the apps.
You can download the appropriate app to your phone and use it to adjust your volume and other features.
If mobile phones and apps aren’t your forte, most manufacturers provide a manual remote control, such as Signia’s mini pocket remote.
When it comes to choosing what type of hearing aid to get, for a lot of people, appearance is a factor to consider.
ITE hearing aids fulfil many cosmetic considerations as they fit discreetly into the ear canal. Leading manufacturers, such as Oticon, Phonak and Signia, all produce excellent ITE styles of hearing aids.
However, for the sheer comfort of fit, Phonak employs a technology called Biometric Calibration, which works out 1,600 points inside your ear canal, so they can accurately position the directional microphones in the hearing aids. This means that they are compatible with the anatomy of your ear for the best possible comfort.
Over the years, with continual improvements in technology, In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids are now better than ever.
With improved comfort, technology and discreetness, ITE hearing aids have become a popular and sought after style of hearing aids.
If you’d like to learn more about how an ITE hearing aid would be right for you, start the journey by first booking a hearing test. You can do so online or by calling us on 1300 736 702.