Benefits of Behind the Ear Hearing Aid and Disadvantage
Behind the ear hearing, aids are smaller and more powerful in noise suppression.
The hearing aid behind the ears is invisible to others.
The receiver is directly connected with a wire to the microphone that makes it easier to use. By pulling the wire you will be able to listen when you want, especially if your hands are busy doing something.
The behind the ear hearing aid is comfortable and less visible than an earmold that sits directly in the ear canal.
It has a direct wire coming from it that helps keep it attached to your head and out of the way when doing housework or other activities.
It can be easily cleaned, making it a better choice for those with an active lifestyle.
Types of behind the ear hearing aid:
There are many different types of hearing aids that can be used for both adults and children including Traditional BTE, SlimBTE, Digitek, PowerBTE, Starkey StereoBTE.
Traditional bed hearing aid:
The traditional BTE is the most common type of behind-the-ear hearing aid. It consists of three parts: The case that contains the electronics, a small microphone and speaker, and a tube to carry sound from the microphone to your ear. An open-fit version of this behind the ear hearing aid has no earmold, but the seal around your ear is made using a small dome or “button”.
Hollow tubing behind-the-ear hearing aid:
This type of hearing aid sits inside the outer ear. The microphone and speaker are placed in a box that fits behind your ear. Small tubes, which are called conduits, carry sound from the microphone to your ear. The sound then enters the ear canal by means of a small dome or “button” that fits in your ear.
Hearing aid technology:
Properly functioning hearing aids must be programmed to work with the person’s hearing loss and the acoustics of their ears. This is typically achieved through programming by either an audiologist or another specially trained professional using a programmable audiometer and then verified using pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and speech recognition equal loudness contours (SPL-E contours, also known as NAL or MAA curves). Some newer digital hearing aids automatically adapt to different situations. These are called adaptive or automatic processing devices.
Digital signal processing:
it is a type of electronic signal processing performed by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) whose input voltage is a sampled, discrete-time signal that has been converted from an analog to a digital representation.
The output of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is another discrete-time signal that has been converted from a digitally encoded representation to an analog signal.
Digital signal processing can be done either in the time domain or the frequency domain. As an example, some more specific types of processing that are commonly performed for hearing aids include:
Noise reduction:
Eliminating the undesired sound. In an analog hearing aid, this is accomplished by trial and error. The audiologist would choose a notch filter that reduces or eliminates sounds of a certain frequency range while leaving other frequencies unaltered. A digital hearing aid uses algorithms to apply notch filters in real-time and more precisely than were possible in analog hearing aids.
Digital noise reduction:
Digital equalization removes undesired sound by changing the frequency response of a digital audio signal to reduce the masking of speech by other sounds, typically those produced inside the human head. This is accomplished using an IIR or FIR filter.
automatic gain control: Increases or decreases volume based on the input signal level.
Automatic feedback cancellation:
Reduces the squeal or whistle that can happen when a hearing aid picks up an amplified version of itself while trying to amplify sound from the speaker. This is accomplished using a phase-cancellation algorithm.
implantable devices:
it is a device that may be surgically implanted so that it is close to the body’s sound processing center. The first implantable hearing device was intended for users with profound hearing loss.
It was made by Cochlear Limited in 1982 and approved for sale in Australia (Cochlear Ltd, &the University of Melbourne). This device uses direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve via a surgically implanted electrode array to provide a sense of sound.
cochlear nerve:
in the human body, the cochlear nerve is a branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII) that carries signals from the inner ear’s cochlea to the brainstem.
vestibular system:
In anatomy, the vestibular system is the sensory system that provides the leading contribution to the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. It refers to a complex neural network involved in spatial orientation, balance, movements, and changes in position.
Cochlear implant:
a cochlear implant is an electronic device that provides a sense of sound to someone who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. It consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second internal portion, called the “sensor”, which is surgically placed under the skin.
Advantages of the canal hearing aid:
The single-ear canal hearing aid is the smallest and most discreet of all types of hearing aids.
It fits inside the ear canal and can be difficult to see during the casual inspection. The receiver, which sits safely in the ear canal, is virtually invisible.
Canal hearing aids are extremely comfortable because they don’t protrude or stick out of the ears.
Disadvantages of the canal hearing aid:
The canal hearing aid is not designed for those with a significant loss in both ears (bilateral hearing loss), and it may not provide sufficient amplification. Some people don’t like having something jammed into their ear canals. Patients who have had ear surgery or who suffer from ear infections may not be able to wear a canal hearing aid.
Hearing aid styles pros and cons:
Ear shell:
The smallest hearing aids are designed to be completely invisible when worn. They fit entirely inside the ear canal, creating a natural ear mold that fits discreetly in your ears.
In-the-canal (ITC):
A small device about an inch long is inserted into the ear canal for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. It’s easy to handle and insert, but its size makes it difficult for some people to use.
In-the-ear (ITE):
The basic form of a hearing aid with components housed in a plastic case that sits on the outer ear has been redesigned so you can see almost nothing from the outside. However, because of its size, some people can’t or don’t use it. It may not fit everyone’s ear; the hearing aid itself is visible, and it’s more likely to pick up wind noise while you’re talking on the phone.
Behind-the-ear (BTE):
This style of hearing aid has a body that fits behind your ear, with a thin tube connecting the body to the earmold that fits inside the canal. You can comfortably wear eyeglasses or sunglasses with most BTEs, and they’re relatively easy to handle and insert.
Body-worn:
These hearing aids are designed for moderate to severe hearing loss. They include custom molded receivers that sit behind the ear connected by a thin tube to an open-fitting body-worn aid that rests behind your ear. The receiver is visible, and because of its size, some people may not be able to use it.
Ear level:
These hearing aids are worn high on or behind the ear but can’t be seen when you’re wearing eyeglasses. The hearing aid is visible, and you can’t wear glasses at the same time.