What types of hearing aids are there?
Hearing instruments are divided into three main types: BTEs (those that fit Behind-The-Ear), ITEs (those that fit In-The-Ear) and RITE (a combination of BTE and ITE).
- BTE hearing instruments sit behind the ear and use a separate piece called an earmold or a thin sound tube with a soft silicone earpiece to direct sound into the ear canal. Larger sized BTEs can fit more severe hearing losses and may incorporate more features than the smaller models.
- ITE hearing instruments come in several subcategories. The size and shape of your ear and your degree of hearing loss will determine which style and size of ITE instrument is best foryou.
- RITE (Receiver-In-The-Ear) instruments are a hybrid type where the main components of the system sit behind the ear and the receiver (speaker) sits in the ear canal.
Our hearing care professional can help you choose the hearing instrument type that will be best for your hearing loss and your lifestyle.
