Arizona Audiology & Hearing 13540 W. Camino del Sol Ste 20 Sun City West, Arizona 85375 623.214.8085	Hearing Aid Styles There are many styles of hearing aids. The degree of the hearing loss, power and options requirements, manual dexterity abilities, cost factors, and cosmetic concerns are some of the factors that will determine the style the patient will use. The most common styles are listed below: BTE: Behind-The-Ear hearing aids are the largest hearing aids and they are very reliable. BTEs have the most circuit options and they can typically have much more power than any of the custom made in the ear units. BTEs are the units that "sit" on the back of your ear. They are connected to the ear canal via custom-made plastic tubing. The tubing is part of the earmold. The earmold is custom made from an ear impression to perfectly replicate the size and shape of your ear. ITE: In-The-Ear units are comfortable and the easiest to operate. They are also the largest of the custom made styles. ITC: In-The-Canal units are a little more expensive than ITEs. They require good dexterity to control the volume wheels and other controls on the faceplate, and they are smaller than ITEs. MC: Mini-Canals are the size between ITC and CIC. A mini canal is a good choice when you desire the smallest possible hearing aid while still having manual control over the volume wheel and possibly other controls. CIC: Completely-In-the-Canal units are the tiniest hearing aids made. They usually require a "removal string" due to their small size and the fact that they fit so deeply into the canal. CICs can be difficult to remove without the pull string. CICs do not usually have manual controls attached to them because they are too small. Contrary to public belief, CICs are usually not appropriate for many types of hearing loss. Caution and a "CIC Waiver" are recommended prior to fitting. There are many assistive listening devices available today, from sophisticated systems used in theaters and auditoriums to small personal systems. Various kinds of assistive listening devices are listed below: Personal Listening Systems: There are several types of personal listening systems available. All are designed to carry sound from the speaker (or other source) directly to the listener and to minimize or eliminate environmental noises. Some of these systems, such as auditory trainers, are designed for classroom or small group use. Others, such as personal FM systems and personal amplifiers, are especially helpful for one-to-one conversations in places such as automobiles, meeting rooms, and restaurants. TV Listening Systems:These are designed for listening to TV, radio, or stereos without interference from surrounding noise or the need to use very high volume. Models are available for use with or without hearing aids. TV listening systems allow the family to set the volume of the TV, while the user adjusts only the volume of his or her own listening system. Direct Audio Input Hearing Aids: These are hearing aids with direct audio input connections (usually wires) which can be connected to the TV, stereo, tape, and/or radio as well as to microphones, auditory trainers, personal FM systems and other assistive devices. Telephone Amplifying Devices: Most, but not all, standard telephone receivers are useful with hearing aids. These phones are called " hearing aid compatible." The option on the hearing aid is called the T-Coil. The T-coil is automatically activated on some hearing aids and manually activated on others. Basically, the telephone and the hearing aid's T-coil communicate with each other electromagnetically, allowing the hearing aid to be used at a comfortable volume without feedback and with minimal background noise. You should be able to get hearing-aid-compatible phones from your telephone company or almost any retail store that sells telephones. Not all hearing aids have a "T" switch. Make sure your hearing aids have a T switch before purchasing a new hearing aid compatible phone! There are literally dozens of T-coil and telephone coupling systems. Speak with your audiologist to get the most appropriate system for your needs. Cell Phones:Most hearing aids can be used with most cell phones. Importantly, digital hearing aids and digital phones may create constant noise or distortion. There may be significant problems for some hearing aids when used with particular cell phones! The best person to address this problem is your audiologist - speak with your audiologist BEFORE you buy a cell phone or hearing aids!!!! Batteries One question often asked is "How long does the battery last?" Typically they last 7-14 days based on a 16 hour per day use cycle. Batteries are very inexpensive, costing less than a dollar each. Generally, the smaller the battery size, the shorter the battery life. The sizes of hearing aid batteries are listed below along with their standard number and color codes. Size 5 RED Size 10 (or 230) YELLOW Size 13 ORANGE Size 312 BROWN Size 675 BLUE Today's hearing aid batteries are "zinc-air." Because the batteries are air-activated, a factory-sealed sticker keeps them "inactive" until you remove the sticker. Once the sticker is removed from the back of the battery, oxygen in the air contacts the zinc within the battery, and the battery is "turned-on". Placing the sticker back on the battery will not prolong its life. Since many of today's automatic hearing aids do no have "off" switches, removing the battery at night assures that the device is turned off. Zinc-air batteries have a "shelf life" of up to three years when stored in a cool, dry environment. Storing zinc-air hearing aids in the refrigerator has no beneficial effect on their shelf life, in fact, quite the opposite may happen. The cold air may actually form little water particles under the sticker. Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. If the water vapor creeps under the sticker, the oxygen may contact the zinc, and the battery could be totally discharged by the time you peel off the sticker! Therefore, the best place to store batteries is in a cool dry place, like the back of your sock drawer, not the fridge!
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