Hearing aids come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes that can fit any lifestyle. With so many options to choose from, finding the perfect device to complement your daily routine has never been easier. Whether you need a simple aid that makes it easier to hear the TV at home or a more complex device that can filter individual conversations out of a noisy work environment, Gainesville Hearing Services can help you select the best hearing aid to fit your needs. Don’t suffer with hearing loss any longer–call to schedule an appointment today.
Roughly 90% of all age-related hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids, but only if you find the proper device for your specific listening wants and needs. Thankfully, our resident Doctor of Audiology has decades of experience and can provide a level of care that other hearing aid vendors simply can’t. At Gainesville Hearing Services, you know your hearing is in good hands.
Hearing Aid Levels
There are several types of hearing aids available, each designed for a different environment or severity of hearing loss. To start, hearing aids come in four basic levels, each of which works best within a specific intensity of ambient noise.
- Basic: Designed for quiet environments with little to no background noise, including small religious services and typical home activities.
- Standard: Designed for quiet environments with some background noise, including low levels of TV/music, quiet shopping trips, or seeing visitors at home.
- Advanced: Mostly automatic and designed for noisier environments with fair amounts of background noise, including driving, regular conversation, medium-sized gatherings, and casual public settings such as small restaurants.
- Premium: Designed to automatically adjust to a variety of listening environments, including large group activities, sporting events, constant exposure to TV/music, and louder public settings such as crowded restaurants.
Hearing Aid Styles
In addition to the four basic levels, hearing aids come in several styles depending on your hearing needs and how discreet you want your device to be. Gainesville Hearing Services offers hearing aids in multiple designs, including:
- Behind-The-Ear (BTE): This style sits behind your ear and provides the best sound amplification, but is also the most noticeable. It works well with all levels of hearing loss.
- Receiver-In-Canal (RIC): This smaller behind-the-ear style employs a receiver that fits in the ear canal, reducing or even eliminating the “plugged up” feeling caused by traditional devices. These hearing aids can be used for mild to severe levels of hearing loss.
- In-The-Ear (ITE): These devices come in two types, Full Shell ITE and Half Shell ITE. Both sit outside the ear canal, but the Half Shell ITE is smaller and does not cover as much of the upper ear. These styles can treat anything from mild to severe hearing loss.
- In-The-Canal (ITC): These hearing aids sit in the external part of the ear but also extend into the ear canal. They work best for mild to moderately-severe levels of hearing loss.
- Completely-In-Canal (CIC): This style fits entirely within the ear canal and is hard to detect unless looking directly at it. In addition to being discreet, this internal design has the added benefit of reducing wind noise. CIC hearing aids are best suited to mild and moderate levels of hearing loss.
- Invisible-In-Canal (IIC): These hearing aids offer the same benefits as CICs, but they sit so far within the ear canal that they cannot be seen from the outside. They are great for mild to moderate hearing loss and people with good hand dexterity.
Hearing Aid Brands
Gainesville Hearing Services also offers a variety of hearing aid brands at prices that can fit any budget. Our selection includes several big-name brands, including:
- Signia: Known formerly as Siemens Hearing Aids, this German company is best known for its new Bluetooth-compatible Nx processing platform, available in both RIC and BTE styles.
- GN ReSound: Based out of Denmark, this company specializes in the new LiNX 3D model that can connect to and be controlled from the wearer’s smartphone.
- Widex: This Danish organization offers several styles and is the sixth-largest producer of hearing aids in the world.
- Phonak: Swiss company Phonak is well-known for their product Lyric, an IIC hearing aid that can stay in for months, even when the user is exposed to light amounts of water.
- Oticon: Oticon is another Danish company and is famous for its BrainHearing technology, which allows users to experience a full room of sound instead of individual zones of focus.