What You Should Know About Custom Hearng Ads by Catherne Jons, Au.D. (NAPSA)—If you or someone you care about s among the nearly 40 mllon Amercans the Natonal Insttutes of Health estmates could hear better, you may be thnkng about hearngads. Hearng Helpers For many, however, decdng what style they want can be dauntng and the termnology confusng. One reason s that the hearng care ndustry sometmes uses dfferent names or acronyms to refer to smlar hearng ad models. Behnd-the-ear (BTE) and re- cever-n-canal (RIC) hearng ads are pretty self-explanatory—BTE housngs contan all the workng components and st behnd yourear, whle recever-n-canal housngs contan everythng but the recever, whch sts n the openng of your ear canal and connects to housng behnd the ear. In contrast, fgurng out whchstyles are grouped under the umbrella category of custom hearng ads can pose moreofa challenge. WhyThey’re Called Customs Custom hearng ads ft nsde your ear and so have to be custom made accordng to the shape and sze of your ear canal. Customs have tradtonally requred your hearng care professonal to make mpressons of your ear canals usng a moldable compound. The molds are then sent to a manufacturerthattalors each hearng ad to ft comfortably nsde your ears. The downsde of ths processs that t takes tme. Mostpeople choose customs because they provde a comfortable ft coupled wth the utmost n dscreton. Unless people get very close to your ear, they wont notce youre wearng hearng ads at all, whch s a bg plus to many wearers. Also, despte ther smaller sze, some customsoffer almost as many benefcal features as BTE or RIC models, ncludng tnntus therapy sgnals, wreless connectvty and drectonalty. Whether your hearng care professonal recommendsa custom hearngad depends on your degree of hearngloss, comfort level wth wearng somethngnsde yourears, desred features and other hearng andlfestyle consderatons. What’s Avalable Styles and szes of custom hearng ads nclude: e In-the-ear (ITE) hearngadsft nsde the “bowls” of your outer ears. The op- :. a A tny devce that’s almost mpossble to see whent’s workng can make t much easer to hear. tons are full shell, whch completely flls the bowl-shaped regon, and half shell, whch flls the lower part of the bowlonly. In-the-canal (ITC) hearng ads ft partly nsde your ear canal, makng them even less vsble than ITEs. They're sutable for people wth mld to moderate hearngloss. Completely-n-the-canal (CIC) hear- ng ads are very small andft entrely nsde your ear canal for even greater dscreton. They come wth small extenson cords you can use to pull them out ofyour ear for cleanng and mantenance. They are also sutable for adults wth mld to moderate hearngloss. Invsble-n-the-canal (IIC) hearng ads are the tnest currently avalable. Theyre nearly nvsble when worn and madeto ft deep nsde your ear canal (past the second bendandclose to your eardrum). ICs also nclude a cord for nserton and removal and treat mld to moderate hearngloss. Ready-to-wear customsare thelatest nnovaton n custom hearng ads. The Slk™ ready-to-wear CIC combnes the speed and convenence assocated wth BTE or RIC hearngads wth the dscreton and comfort of CICs. Unlke wth other customs, you dont need to have molds taken of your ear canal nor do they have to be sent out for a custom buld. Instead, a soft Clck Sleeve lets your hearng care professonal ft them nsde your ear and send them home wth you the sameday. Learn More For further facts on hearng better, go to www.sgnausa.com. e Dr. Jons s an Educatonal Specalst wth more than 25 yearsofsuccessful pro- grammng experence.
