Picking a good hearing aid can be something of a challenge at the best of times. If you are about to have your first hearing aid fitted, you probably have a lot of questions that you want answered first. It is always best to see your hearing instrument specialist (HIS) about any of these, but there is also a lot to be said for knowing as much as possible beforehand too. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the things to bear in mind that will help you pick out the best hearing aids for you, whenever that could become important.

The Different Hearing Aid Types

First of all, it might be helpful to have an overview of the different types of hearing aid that you can come across. Having a good understanding of this will likely make it a lot easier to choose the right one in the future. Here are the major types:

  • In the ear (ITE): Otherwise known as in-the-ear, this hearing aid is one of the more obvious ones that you might come across, but it also tends to have a lot more processing and battery power, making it a useful option for more advanced hearing loss.
  • Behind the ear (BTE): Behind-the-ear hearing aids are the kind that most people imagine when they think of a hearing aid, and they are the more traditional type that you can come across. These hearing aids can be very secretive while still providing a lot of help for your hearing and can come with just the right tone for your skin or hair color.
  • In the canal (ITC): Are the more discreet type of hearing aid, and great if you don’t want your hearing aid to be too on display. These are commonly used these days, and nobody will even know whether you are wearing a hearing aid with one of these.

Extra and Optional Features

Hearing aids come with a range of different features, some of which you might consider essential and some which are more like nice add-ons that you might be able to enjoy. It’s good to be aware of the many optional extras that a hearing aid can have, as this will help you to decide on which is best for you and which you can do without. Many hearing aids have Bluetooth connectivity these days, for instance, which allows you to connect easily with televisions and cell phones. Whether or not you need that function is up to you, but it’s something to be aware of. Similarly, you should figure out whether you want rechargeable batteries or not – this is something which can really make all the difference for a lot of people but is not always necessary. Ask your Hearing Instrument Specialist The important thing is that you should ask your hearing instrument specialist (HIS) for help when you are picking out a hearing aid. They will be able to take all considerations on board and tell you which are your best options and then work with you to decide on one.