In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
Are you looking for a hearing aid you can wear inside your ear? This type of hearing aid is completely invisible because the device is placed directly in your ear canal. The hearing aid is custom-fitted to your ear canal for optimal comfort.
If you have a mild to moderate hearing loss, you may be well-advised to choose an ITE hearing aid. In the United States, about 10% of hearing aid users opt for ITE devices. The production and fitting is done individually. For this purpose, your audiologist makes an impression of your ear. You can choose from different colors for your hearing aid, so if you don't want others to be able to immediately identify you as a hearing aid user, you can choose the color according to your skin tone.
In-the-ear Hearing Aid Variations
There are three different types of in-the-ear hearing aids:
- CIC hearing aids: Hearing aids of this type are placed deep in the ear canal and thus are almost invisible - best suited for a minor to moderate hearing loss. The batteries of this model usually have a longer life span.
- ITC hearing aids: These hearing aids are barely visible and are suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. They are very small in design and require equally small batteries. These batteries usually require a fairly frequent change.
- ITE hearing aids: This type of hearing aid is placed directly in the pinna and is the largest design of the in-the-ear hearing aids. The size offers advantages in the operation and care of the hearing aid.
Prerequisites for ITE Hearing Aids
Three prerequisites must be known before choosing an ITE hearing aid:
- Because your ear canal is "plugged" by the hearing aid, you have to get used to the occlusion effect. The effect describes the perception of your own voice in a muffled manner.
- The performance level of these small devices is limited, so you should only choose them if you have a low to moderate hearing loss.
- Your ear canal must be large enough for the hearing aid to be placed inside of it.
What do ITE Hearing Aids cost?
In-the-ear hearing aids at MySecondEar cost between 690€ and 2.290€ per ear.