hearing aid styles san antonio

Recent technological advances have been made which have improved the experience of living with hearing instruments for many hard of hearing people. The hard of hearing will always face listening challenges, with or without hearing instruments. Thankfully, hearing aids make those challenges easier to live with. For thousands of people with hearing loss, amplification has been the difference between feeling isolated and depressed, or feeling in touch with other people.
There is a wide range of technology available to help people cope with hearing loss, and products grow in sophistication every year. Varying in price, power, features, size and style, hearing instruments are available to meet the audiological and lifestyle demands of most clients

Completely-in-the-canal (CIC)
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) are custom made so that all components fit inside the shell, but they are worn deeper in the ear canal than in-the-ear hearing aids (ITE's) which are described in the following category and are almost invisible. Less amplification is required from CIC than other types of hearing instruments because output is delivered close to the eardrum. ClC reduces the awareness wearers have of their own voice and their ears do not feel as "plugged up" as with other types of instruments. The technical term for this benefit is "reduced occlusion effect". Wind-noise and telephones pose fewer problems to wearers of CIC compared to the other types of instruments as well.

In-the-ear (ITE)
In-the ear hearing aids (ITE) became available in the late 1970's and are now the most popular style of hearing instrument in North America. Consumers are attracted to the discreet styling of ITE which come in several sizes including full shell (large) to half shell (small). All the instruments electrical components are housed within the custom-made shell which is worn inserted in the ear. These devices use smaller batteries than BTE and may have a shorter battery-life, but the microphone is located in a more natural position on ITE than on BTE and some people find that this provides better sound quality.

In-the-Canal (ITC)
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are smaller and are custom made to fit the shape of your ear canal. These aids can be worn during most physical activity. They also fit more deeply than in-the-ear hearing aids and therefore are popular because of their cosmetic appeal. All of the components within the single plastic shell fit into the ear.

Behind-the-ear (BTE)
Behind-the ear (BTE) were the most common hearing instruments in North America from the 1950's-1970's, and they continue to outsell all other hearing instruments world-wide. BTE aids are reliable and offer fitting flexibility in addition to power. These instruments sit behind the ear and amplify incoming sound. The amplified sound travels down a short tube connected to a custom-fitted earmold that delivers the sound into the ear canal.

How Hearing Aids Work
Programmable Hearing Instruments
The advent of programmable hearing instruments has led to new solutions to some old problems.
Single Program devices allow the hearing professional to adjust electronic controls in the hearing instrument using a computer. Previously, instruments would have been returned to the manufacturer for internal fine-tuning. People who own programmable hearing instruments do not have to go without their devices as frequently as those who do not have programmable instruments.
Multi-Program devices provide the benefits of single channel instruments in addition to having more than one "program" or setting. This means that one program can be set for listening in quiet environments, and another program can be set for noisy environments, etc. The wearer is able to choose which program is best for specific listening situations.
Digital Signal Processing
Up until recently, hearing instruments have used analog technology to process sound signals - most instruments still do - but extensive research in the field of digital signal processing (DSP) and its application in the hearing health industry is taking place. DSP enables hearing health