For anyone with hearing issues, choosing the right hearing aid would be the very first step towards improving the quality of life. It would help make sure that you can hear comfortably and clearly. Prior to buying hearing aids, you should undergo a comprehensive hearing test by an audiologist or other qualified hearing specialist. Such a test would help diagnose your hearing loss and its severity. Based on its findings, you can look for appropriate hearing aid.
Today hearing aids come in a plethora of styles, among which you can make your choice based on your specific hearing issues and personal preferences. Opting for over the ear hearing aid, also known as behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids can be a smart option for many, as these aids are well-suited for a wide range of hearing issues and diverse levels of hearing loss. BTE hearing aids rest behind the ear and connect to the ear via a tube, and tend to be pretty durable and powerful devices.
How is over-the-ear hearing aid better than in-the-ear ones?
Hearing aids of diverse styles and designs are available today. The one you choose to wear should be comfortable enough to be worn daily, meet your specific needs and work for your lifestyle. An increasing number of people opt for over the ear hearing aid, due to their many beneficial features. These devices are also called behind-the-ear as you wear it outside of your outer ear. A tiny then routes the sound down into your ear canal. BTE hearing aids are available in multiple shapes, sizes and colour combinations today. They can help make sounds more audible for people with and thereby help them feel more confident and comfortable.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are generally larger than the in-the-ear ones, and have many advantages like:
- Good battery life: Owing to their larger size, BTE hearing aids have more space for high-capacity batteries. Therefore, in comparison to smaller, in-the-ear hearing aids, they tend to have better battery life. These hearing devices also help enhance sound amplification, which makes them ideal for varying degrees of hearing loss. After all, better amplification can help detect higher frequencies.
- Easy maintenance: It is not easy to clean and maintain smaller hearing aids. On the other hand, with BTE hearing aids, you would be easily able to clean its every nook and cranny due to its bigger size. In certain cases, components of the hearing aid can be removed for cleaning, which makes it much easier to maintain. Moreover, as this hearing device is placed on the outer ear, it is safe from ear wax build-up.
- Comfortable to wear: BTE hearing aids nicely fit on the outer ear and do not cause any intrusion in the inner ear, which makes them pretty safe and comfortable to wear.
- Scope for adding more features: Owing to the bigger size gives space and scope for BTE hearing aids, they often come with a number of additional features like Bluetooth connectivity.
In addition to the features mentioned above, BTE hearing aids are usually also relatively more budget-friendly than other hearing devices.