What is Deafness
Deafness is a pathological disorder in which a person is unable to listen properly. In order to detect deafness patient has to undergo certain clinical tests like Pure tone audiometry, Impedance, BERA etc. These tests helps a doctor to decide the mode of treatment for his deaf patient . Treatment of a deaf patient can be curative or rehabilitative. Curative treatment can be done medically or Surgically While rehabilitative can be done by Hearing Aids.
In this era of technology high quality multifeatured Hearing aids are available capable of giving high quality sound in variable situations.
Types of Hearing Aid :
1. Air Conduction Hearing Aid
2. Bone Conduction Hearing Aid
Air Conduction Hearing Aids are those hearing aids which are worn in such a manner that sound received by hearing aid is send in ear through External canal of disease ear. There are various types of air conduction Hearing aids :
A. Pocket Hearing Aid
B. Behind the Ear Hearing Aid ( BTE )
C. Receiver in the cana Hearing Aid ( RIC )
D. In the Canal Hearing Aid – ITC, ITE, CIC, IIC
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Except Pocket Hearing Aid all other hearing aids are available as digital programmable hearing aids. Digital Programmable Hearing Aids are most acceptable hearing aids and have many advantages over non digital non programmable hearing aids.
Pocket Model Hearing Aids
These models are most economic models and have its own advantages along with some disadvantages like :
- The sound amplified is little loud,
- Environmental sounds are very disturbing
- Low Sound quality
- Little less handy
Behind the Ear Hearing Aid
Behind the Ear hearing aids are available in both forms Non Programmable and programmable.The major difference between them is that in non programmable hearing aids while doing fine tunning it is the volume which is adjusted and hence with increase in volume the disturbance also increases but in case of programmable hearing aids it is the intensity of individual frequency which is amplified hence the patient get quality sound with minimum disturbance.
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Receiver in Canal Hearing Aid
In this type of hearing aid receiver is placed in canal of patient and the body of hearing aid lies behind the ear. This RIC hearing aid is ideally to be worn by patients who require open fit and with sloping curve in Pure tone audiometry. It is a sleek easily worn hearing aid and can be advised to patients with any type of loss. These hearing aids are purely digital programmable hearing aids.
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In the Canal Hearing Aid
There are four types of in the canal hearing aids – ITE, ITC, CIC, IIC . these hearing aids are customized digital programmable haering aids. The biggest advantage of this model is its minimum visibility as maximum part of hearing aid goes inside the ear canal. Now a day ready forms of In the Canal Hearing aids are also available and with change of size of sleeves fixing is tried to be done but customized models should be preferred for proper fitting.
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