HEARING AID SELECTION

Hearing aids: How to choose the right one
Many types of hearing aids exist. So which is best for you? Find out what to consider when choosing a hearing aid.By Mayo Clinic Staff
Perhaps you've thought about getting a hearing aid, but you're worried about how it will look and wonder whether it will really help. Knowing more about the hearing aid options available to you, what to look for when buying a hearing aid and how to break it in may help alleviate some of your concerns.
Hearing aid styles
All hearing aids contain the same parts to carry sound from the environment into your ear. However, hearing aids do come in a number of styles, which differ in size and the way they're placed in your ear. Some are small enough to fit inside your ear canal, making them almost invisible. Others fit partially in your ear canal. Generally, the smaller a hearing aid is, the less powerful it is, the shorter its battery life and the more it'll cost.
The following are common hearing aid styles.
Completely in the canal
Completely-in-the-canal hearing aids are molded to fit inside your ear canal and can improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults.
A completely-in-the-canal hearing aid: * Is the least noticeable in the ear * Is less likely to pick up wind noise because the ear protects the instrument * Is easy to use with the telephone in most cases * Uses smaller batteries, which typically don't last as long as larger batteries * Doesn't contain extra features, such as volume control or directional microphones
In the canal
An in-the-canal hearing aid is custom molded and fits partly in the ear canal, but not as deeply as the completely-in-the-canal aid. This hearing aid can improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults.
An in-the-canal hearing aid: * Is less visible in the ear * Is easy to use with the telephone *