Types of Hearing Aids in Fairbanks, AK

Hearing aids can improve communication, confidence, and quality of life by helping you follow conversations and stay engaged in social settings. Better access to sound also supports brain health by reducing listening effort and helping the brain stay active and connected. After a hearing test, we’ll discuss the hearing aid options best suited to your needs, lifestyle, and treatment goals.

How Hearing Aids Help

Hearing aids work by using tiny microphones to capture sounds from your environment. Those sounds are then processed and customized based on your hearing needs before being delivered through a small speaker, called a receiver, into your ear. This allows important sounds—particularly speech—to be heard more clearly and comfortably. This extra clarity often cuts down on stress and fatigue, letting you enjoy life more fully.

Different Styles of Hearing Aids: Finding the Best Fit for You

Hearing aids are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They are available in a variety of styles, including models that fit behind the ear and others that sit discreetly within the ear canal. The most appropriate option depends on several factors, including the degree and type of hearing loss, ear anatomy, communication needs, lifestyle, dexterity, and personal preferences.

Following a comprehensive hearing evaluation and discussion of your hearing goals, your audiologist will recommend hearing aid styles and technology levels that best support your hearing, communication, and overall quality of life.

Our team will work with you to find the right match from a range of options, including: 

Behind-the-Ear (BTE)

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids rest over the top of the ear, with the main parts in a case behind it. A tube sends sound to a custom earpiece in the ear canal. BTEs work for all ages with moderate to severe hearing loss, and they're especially good for children because the earpiece is easy to replace as they grow. They're easy to put in and take out, and many newer models offer rechargeable batteries and wireless streaming from phones and tablets.

In-the-Ear (ITE)

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are custom-made to fit your ear. They come in full-shell styles, which fill the outer ear, and half-shell styles, which fill the lower part. Both work for mild to severe hearing loss and suit people who struggle to keep behind-the-ear devices in place or who wear safety gear at work. They're also easier to handle than smaller receiver-in-canal (RIC) models. ITEs come in wireless and rechargeable versions, as well as standard battery models.

In-the-Canal (ITC)

In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are custom-made and hard to notice. Smaller styles include completely-in-canal (CIC) models, which often skip wireless features, and invisible-in-canal (IIC) models, which sit deep in the ear canal and can barely be seen. They're best for mild to moderate hearing loss but may not suit high-frequency hearing loss, since they fully block the ear canal. Most use disposable batteries, though some CIC models are rechargeable.

Receiver-in-Canal (RIC)

Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids, also called receiver-in-the-ear (RITE), keep most of their parts in a small case behind the ear. A thin wire runs from the case to a speaker in the ear canal, which makes the behind-the-ear part smaller, lighter, and harder to notice. Most RIC models offer wireless streaming and rechargeable batteries, and some are waterproof. They're commonly recommended for moderate to severe hearing loss.

Why Should I Consider Digital, Prescriptively Fit Hearing Aids

An analog hearing aid amplifies sound so your ear receives it at a louder volume. A digital hearing aid digitizes the sounds you hear. That means it goes the extra step of eliminating background noises and frequencies that interfere with the sounds you’re trying to focus on. An analog hearing aid acts as a microphone and speaker, but digital hearing aids can perform more complex functions – such as separating speech from background noise and changing the frequency of sounds to make them more easily discernible and pleasing to the ear.

Digital hearing aids have many benefits over analog hearing aids including:

  • Digital hearing aids enhance the sound of speech, and greatly reduce bothersome background noise, to ensure you hear the person talking to you.
  • Digital hearing aids are better able to eliminate feedback – the loud ringing sound that sometimes emanates from an analog hearing aid.
  • The volume level of a digital hearing aid automatically adjusts to changes in the environment so you don’t have to make manual adjustments.

Bluetooth Hearing Aids

Most hearing aid manufacturers produce hearing aids that utilize Bluetooth technology to connect with smartphones, tablets and other capable devices. Bluetooth technology provides these capabilities without overly draining battery life, which can be important if this is a feature you anticipate using often.

Wireless Hearing Aids

Most modern hearing aids don’t feature any visible wires, cables, or cords. The term “wireless” indicates that the hearing aid can communicate with other electronic devices – including smartphones, computer tablets, smart TVs and streaming devices. If you have two hearing aids, they are also able to communicate with each other wirelessly to preserve the important localization cues of speech and environmental sounds. Non-wireless hearing aids are unable to communicate with other electronic devices or receive streaming audio.

Wireless hearing aids allow you to:

  • Hear speech, music or sounds in both ears simultaneously, even if the sound was initially picked up by only one of the hearing aids.
  • Change the volume in both hearing aids by simply pressing a button.
  • Exclude any unwanted ambient noise in the room that may interfere with comfortable listening.
  • Create custom settings for unique sound environments – such as a noisy restaurant or busy shopping mall.
  • Stream television shows, movies, internet radio stations and podcasts directly to the hearing aids without static or distortion.
  • Adjust the volume of a television without increasing the volume for other listeners (though you may need a streaming accessory).
  • Increase the clarity of speech or music over unwanted background noise.

Add a remote control to adjust the hearing aid volume, or switch between electronic devices that provide streaming music or sound.

How Wireless Hearing Aids Can Help

  • Send voices and music to both ears at once, even if only one aid picks up the sound.
  • Let you change the volume in both aids by pushing a single button.
  • Quiet background noise so you can focus on what matters.
  • Create custom settings for different places, like busy restaurants or malls.
  • Stream TV shows, music, and internet audio straight to your ears without static.
  • Adjust your TV volume without making it louder for anyone else.
  • Make speech or music clearer.
  • Let you use a remote control to switch between devices or change volume easily.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids

Many hearing aids today come with rechargeable batteries, which means you don’t have to replace tiny batteries on a regular basis. You simply place your hearing aids in a charging dock at night, and they’ll be powered up and ready to go the next day. Rechargeable devices can be easier to handle and are often more convenient for people who don’t want to keep buying and swapping out batteries.

Next Steps

If you are experiencing difficulty hearing or understanding speech, a comprehensive hearing evaluation is the first step toward better hearing and brain health. We will assess your hearing, discuss your communication needs, and recommend treatment options tailored to your lifestyle and hearing goals.

If hearing aids are appropriate, we will help you select the technology best suited to your needs, provide individualized fitting and programming, and support you through ongoing follow-up care. Our goal is to help you stay connected to the people, activities, and moments that matter most while supporting lifelong hearing and cognitive health.

If you have questions, we have answers. Visit our Hearing Aid FAQs or contact us today.