What styles of hearing aids are there?
Behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids: These are the most commonly dispensed hearing aids. They are available for people with mild to severe hearing losses. BTE hearing aids fit over the ear and use an ear mold to send sound into the ear. They are usually easy to manipulate and can easily be connected to an FM system so they are ideal for children in school. In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids: These are very popular with adults who have mild to moderately-severe hearing loss because they are smaller than BTE hearing aids. They fill in the ear and usually have one or two small switches which are used to turn the hearing aid on and off or to change programs. These hearing aids are not good for children because they need to be remade every time the child grows (which can be more than once a year). In addition they are not compatible with FM systems. Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) hearing aids: These are very small hearing aids that fit into the ear canal and are less visible than ITE hearing aids.
