Hearing Aids
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with hearing loss, you may be wondering what hearing aid would work best for you and which features you could benefit from. At Siouxland Hearing Healthcare, we offer the best devices available on the market, whether you’re looking for hearing aids or hearing protection.
Styles of Hearing Aids
Hearing devices are made uniquely for each individual but there are several categories into which all products fall. Here are the general styles of hearing aids:
- Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids have a power source behind the ear and an amplifier in the ear canal.
- In-the-ear (ITE) devices have power and amp inside the ear canal. They can be invisible (or slightly visible) and have an earmold that sits in the outer ear.
- A mini-BTE device has a small tube running to the ear canal; this has several variations depending on your needs for power and comfort.
- Completely-in-canal (CIC) devices are the smallest and are nearly invisible. The patient’s degree off hearing loss and dexterity should be considered when discussing CIC devices.
Hearing Protection
General hearing protection is recommended for many activities:
- Working environments that produce excessive noise like music halls, construction and street repair sites, and other loud venues.
- Hunting and shooting activities
- Attending loud events like concerts
- Operating loud machinery at home or at work
- Swimming and diving events protect hearing from water pressure
Hearing protection advice is always available at Siouxland Hearing Healthcare. Call for basic information or to make an appointment.
Hearing Aid Products and Accessories by Manufacturer
Bluetooth Hearing Aids
One of the marvels of miniature computing is wireless connectivity. Hearing aids are no different. They can be connected using Bluetooth to cellphones and other computers. Wireless programs allow adjustments of volume and direction for hearing aids. People can answer calls into their hearing aid directly.
Not all products have this capability. Your technician will explain all the features and benefits of the various sizes of devices.
Caption Call
CaptionCall is a telephone and application that helps people with phone calls at home. The phone has a display screen that types out captions of the call as you watch. Ideal for hard-of-hearing people who need a regular telephone, CaptionCall is available with adjustable audio and touchscreen calling features.
There are many quality hearing device manufacturers. Here are some of our best-selling product makers:
Phonak
The Phonak Audeo Marvel® is well-named. It is a multifunction BTE hearing device that is rechargeable, connects to phones and televisions and helps wearers understand speech in noisy environments. Phonak’s Virto™ B and Virto B-Titanium computerized hearing aids offer biometric calibration, which means they are programmed for your ear’s anatomy.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Like Bluetooth-enables devices, rechargeable hearing aids take advantage of miniature technology to provide a much easier product to use every day. Some devices charge simply by placing them in a small box or slot. Recharging batteries are replaced periodically by a technician.
ReSound
ReSound offers several styles that have the latest innovations. The LiNX 3D line includes sizes from ITC to more powerful BTE items. “Smart hearing technology” offers better speech recognition from any angle and in noisy rooms. The ENZO² is built for those with severe and profound hearing loss. It connects to iPhones and other devices.
Sonic Innovations
Sonic offers SoundDNA technology, an adaptive and flexible platform for adjusting the capabilities of hearing products. The Enchant BTE powerful device learns about hearing environments and adjusts by enhancing speech and reducing the amplification of background noise.
Starkey
Starkey makes many styles of hearing aid and guarantees you will find one for your needs. CIC hearing devices from Starkey are programmed by remote computer. They offer tinnitus reduction hearing aids, BTE, ITE and accessories. Many devices are rechargeable and connect to cell phones. They have products made specifically for the iPhone. One new Starkey product, the Livio AI, tracks body and brain health.