Behind the Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids
The most popular
The main unit of a BTE hearing aids contains all the electronic components. It sits behind your ear with a tube that runs into your ear canal and connects with a custom-fit earmold or dome.
Who would benefit from BTE Hearing aids?
The tube carries sound from the main unit and delivers it via the dome or mold in your ear canal. Whether you use a mold or a dome, it is made to custom fit your ear canal so that it fits comfortably but does not block the whole canal. Having the main unit sit behind your ear instead of inside your ear canal makes it useful for people who have specific conditions:
- Chronic ear infectionswhere having larger units inside your ears can be painful
- Excessive ear waxthat can build around units in your ear causing them to be blocked or damaged
- Small ear canalsthat are impossible to fit full hearing aid units
Pros & cons of BTE hearing aids
Even though BTE hearing aids are bigger, they are still made to be less noticeable and more discreet. For example, the tubes that run into your ear canal are clear. The main unit and earmolds come in a variety of different colour tones to blend in with your skin and hair. They also come in more bold and flashy colours if you prefer having something to suit your sense of style and flair.
Because BTE hearing aids are larger, they can house larger batteries and sound processors. This means they can provide more powerful sound amplification for people who have more severe levels of hearing loss. They also typically contain more advanced technology and features. This is the main reason why BTE hearing aids are more common, and suitable to people with all levels of hearing loss. However, because of the size and style, the people who most commonly use BTE hearing aids will be those with more severe hearing loss.
Advantages
- Suitable for all levels of hearing loss, from mild to profound
- Good for people who are prone to have ear infections, too much ear wax, and small or narrow ear canals
- Easy to handle for people with dexterity issues with such features as larger program selection buttons that are easy to operate
- Can fit more advanced features and functionality than smaller types
- Able to fit larger and more powerful batteries for longer battery life
- Available in models with wireless and Bluetooth connectivity to devices
- Custom-fit earmolds and domes can be replaced separately
- Less susceptible to moisture damage or earwax blockage
- Better for children, because the main unit can be reprogrammed as needed and the earmold can be replaced with a larger one as the child grows
Disadvantages
More visible and less discreet than other, smaller hearing aid types- May pick up more wind noise than other styles
- May not be suitable for people who wear eyeglasses
- Blocks up more of your ear, which can make wearers feel plugged up
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