CAPITAL HEALTH

Why choose open fit hearing aids?

There have been several momentous changes in the production and manufacture of hearing aids, but none so dramatic as the introduction of open ear hearing aids.

Firstly, there was the traditional ear trumpet. Then, the first proper hearing aids were introduced, in the form of the little box, which would sit around the neck or in a breast pocket. That was known as the ‘body worn’ hearing aid.Then the first behind the ear hearing aids were made, which were large and cumbersome, but sat behind the ear, and had the microphone pointing in the direction that the ear pointed, which in itself was a big advance.

 Then anaologue ‘in the ear’ hearing aids were produced, which were the first hearing aids to pay heed to cosmetic requirements.Hearing aids that were analogue but programmable came next, and then soon after that was the advent of digital hearing aids. These revolutionised the hearing profession, giving extra clarity, noise filters, dual microphones and an accurate programming ability. When we look at original digital hearing aids now, they seem as antiquated as an analogue aids would have done when digital first became available, but at the time they were groundbreaking.

 Technology in the hearing profession has moved at an astonishing pace in the last five years or so.The biggest breakthrough for the hearing aid wearer is the open fit hearing aid. The first of these was the Resound Hearing Aid called the Contact Air. This comprised of a small pod behind the ear using size 10 hearing aid batteries, a very thin tube to carry the sound into the ear, where it connected to a soft dome, which fitted snugly in the ear canal. These were amazingly popular and successful, and were responsible for a revolution in hearing aid technology. The Delta was the first Oticon hearing aid to incorporate an open fit and the Savia Art and Audeo are some of the early open fit Phonak Hearing Aids. The Delta from Oticon (which has now been superceded by the Dual Mini) introduced RITE (receiver in the ear) technology, which removed the acoustic vagaries of thin tubing, as the tubing itself was replaced by a wire which carried the sound electronically to the speaker, which was housed underneath the soft rubbery dome.

 But what makes open ear hearing aids so special?

  There are several reasons why an open fitting hearing aid will always be preferable.

Comfort. Because there is no mould to seal the ear, the rubber dome sits snugly in the ear canal, preventing unnecessary perspiration and allowing the ear to ‘breathe’ as it would if no hearing aid was worn. I have often heard people say ‘I don’t know I’m wearing them’ as they are so light and comfortable. Quality of hearing. The basis of an open ear fitting is that it allows the wearer to use the percentage of hearing he or she still has remaining, but is given a boost (usually in mid and high pitch sound) to aid clarity with the hearing of speech. This effect has given us the nearest we can achieve to normal hearing via hearing aids. Cost. Open ear hearing aids are factory made and do not cost as much to manufacture as a custom-made in the ear hearing aid. Therefore, higher technology specifications are available at lower price ranges. The fact that they are factory manufactured also means the instruments are more reliable than in the ear hearing aids. Discretion. Due to the very thin wire and small ‘pod’ sitting behind the ear, open fit hearing aids tend to be very discrete and largely invisible.

OK, so how do I get an open ear hearing aid?

 If you are interested in finding out more about open ear hearing aids, the first step is to contact your local hearing aid retailer. It is advisable to mention Phonak, Resound and Oticon hearing aids, as these are the market leaders in regards to technology.

Once you have ascertained that your retailer will deal with the above mentioned brands, the next step is to ask for a free hearing test and a possible demonstration of open ear hearing aids. When you have had your free hearing test, the hearing-aid audiologist will give you a demonstration of the hearing aids recommended and discuss hearing aid prices. You may also like to ask about the aftercare offered by the retailer, and the cost of hearing aid batteries. Some retailers offer free hearing aid batteries as part of their general aftercare package. This is a nice bonus!

The rest is up to you, but you have NOTHING to lose by trying to find out if open ear hearing aids are suitable for you, and if you have hearing loss that can be helped by these little marvels, then you will be very glad you looked into it!

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Benefits of open ear hearing aids

There are more and more types and styles of hearing aids available today, as technology becomes more advanced and hearing aid components become ever smaller.

This is a considerable advantage to those with hearing loss and means that however severe the loss, the hearing aid need be nowhere near as large as the hearing aids of past.

There are four main types of hearing aid: Open ear hearing aids, which can also incorporate RITE (receiver in the ear) technology, BTE (behind the ear), ITE (in the ear), and CIC (completely in the canal) digital hearing aids. There are benefits and disadvantages of each type, but the one with the fewest disadvantages is the open ear RITE.

Advantages of open ear hearing aids

There are many advantages of open ear fittings or open ear hearing aids, both from a cosmetic and an audiological point of view, and also a benefit when looking at cost.

Open ear hearing aids, such as those made by Oticon, Phonak, & GN Resound are small, inconspicuous and very light and comfortable. People don’t even know they are wearing them!

The only part of an open ear hearing aid is the part that sits in the ear, which is a small rubbery dome which feeds the sound directly into the ear. It doesn’t need a bulky earmould, so it doesn’t block the ear completely. Conventional hearing aid earmoulds can cause sweating and can also be very uncomfortable. 

Most people with hearing loss can benefit from an open ear hearing aid, but severe and profound losses may find a BTE hearing aid more suitable. If you are concerned about your hearing go for a free hearing test from a local hearing aid dispenser first. He or she will tell you how bad your hearing loss is, and should also offer you a free hearing aid demonstration, and obviously will tell you about hearing aid prices. There are some amazing new digital hearing aids being produced by Phonak, Oticon and GN Resound. Phonak Yes is an amazing new open ear hearing aid, Oticon Dual takes over from Oticon Delta as one of the world’s leading open ear hearing aids.

Open ear hearing aids are beneficial since there are fewer problems with blockages from ear wax. Also, as the ear is left open, it has the chance to ‘breathe’ naturally, thus preventing excessive perspiration.

If you are thinking about getting a hearing aid, you probably want one that is small, that no one can see. Equally important, is that the hearing aid is comfortable and light. Obviously the way your digital hearing aids perform is of paramount importance and that’s why the open ear hearing aids are often the best choice.

Open Ear hearing aid technology has dramatically improved hearing capabilities as well as given vastly improved comfort and discretion and are increasingly becoming the digital hearing aid of choice for many users with all types of hearing losses.