What kinds of hearing aids are there? Aren’t they pretty bulky and unsightly?

There are five main types of hearing aids these days, and the advent of microtechnology has made them much smaller yet more reliable than ever before. (1) Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids are tucked behind the outer ear (pinna) and almost invisibly connected to an earmold placed in your ear canal. This earmold is custom-made to replicate exactly the shape of your ear canal where it is located. BTE’s offer the most power and usually the most options of all the units. (2) In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aids are placed in the outer ear and partly in the ear canal. They are comfortable, relatively inexpensive and easy to operate, although they are larger than other types of units. (3) In-the-Canal (ITC) hearing aids are smaller than ITE’s but require some dexterity in manipulating the volume wheel. (4) Completely in-the-Canal (CIC) units are the smallest hearing aids made and are inserted deep into the ear canal. They have a small, thin string attached to them to enable removal. Because they ...  more