What are open-fit or OTE style hearing devices?
Open-fit hearing devices have dramatically changed the perception and acceptance of hearing devices. Not only are they very cosmetically appealing, they have significant benefits over traditional styles of hearing devices. They are the most comfortable devices to wear. Within a few hours, most people do not even feel them in their ears. They significantly reduce or eliminate what is called the occlusion effect (feeling like your head is in a barrel, your voice sounds like an echo chamber, and when you eat everything is very loud). Because the ear canal is kept open, we are not plugging the ear as traditional hearing devices do, and so the internal resonance of sound is dramatically reduced. Everything sounds natural, not mechanical, and not so harsh or boomy. The audiologic assessment is very important for determining if these devices could be an option for you.
