Hearing aids are mainly divided into behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, bone conduction, glasses and pocket types. The specific analysis is as follows:
1. Behind-the-ear: Behind-the-ear hearing aids are worn behind the auricle and connected to the ear mold through a thin tube and placed in the ear canal. Suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss, large in size but strong in power, easy to adjust. The shell material is usually hypoallergenic plastic to reduce skin irritation. Because it is worn outside, it is easily affected by sweat and requires regular cleaning and maintenance.
2. In-the-ear: In-the-ear hearing aids are completely embedded in the concha cavity or ear canal. According to the size, they are divided into full concha cavity, half concha cavity and deep ear canal. The customized design fits the shape of the ear canal, is highly concealed, and is suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. However, the small size leads to limited functions, short battery life, and earwax easily blocks the sound outlet.
3. Bone conduction: Bone conduction hearing aids transmit sound directly to the inner ear through skull vibrations, and are suitable for people with outer ear or middle ear dysfunction. They are divided into implantable and non-implantable types, and non-implantable types need to be fixed with a headband. There is no need to rely on the ear canal for sound transmission, but long-term wearing may compress the skin, so you need to pay attention to comfort adjustment.
4. Glasses: Glasses hearing aids integrate the sound processor into the temples of the glasses and transmit sound through bone conduction or air conduction. Suitable for users who also need vision correction to reduce the burden of additional wearing. However, the temples may produce noise due to head movement, and the maintenance is complicated, so the temple connection parts need to be checked regularly.
5. Pocket: The main body of the pocket hearing aid is like a small box, which can be placed in a pocket and connected to the earphones through a wire. It has high power and simple operation, and is suitable for people with severe hearing loss or inconvenient hand movement. However, the wires are easy to tangle, and friction noise may be generated when moving, so it is necessary to avoid storing in a humid environment.