The Days of the Big, Bulky BTE Hearing Aid Are Over: Meet the

Open Fit and RIC

In the early 1960s my grandmother

wore a BTE hearing aid. She used to

say that “BTE,” which is short for

behind-the-ear hearing aid, stood for

that “Big Thing on my Ear.” We would laugh because that is all we

could do at the time. There were no

other alternatives for someone with

her degree of hearing loss.

However, if she were alive today, Grandma would certainly be

surprised at the advanced changes that have been made in this

type of hearing instrument. Still the most common style of

hearing aid, primarily because it is more powerful, more

comfortable and more durable than other smaller aids, the BTE’s larger size also allows it to have more features. However, it is

also because of that size that it seems out-of-date.

It is composed of two parts: 1) a plastic case which houses electronic components rests behind the ear and 2) a custom ear

mold that sends sound into the ear.

A few years ago the Open Fit hearing aid was introduced. While

still a type of aid worn over the ear, the part of the hearing aid that fits behind the ear is much smaller. Instead of connecting to

an ear mold, a thin plastic tube sits inside the ear canal to

conduct sound.

Since the ear canal is more “open” and is not completely filled by

an ear mold, a more natural and comfortable fit results. This

type of hearing aid also helps to eliminate that “talking in the barrel” feeling.

The newest type of BTE is the Receiver-in-the-Ear (RIC) device.

These hearing aids look similar to an Open Fit, but instead of the receiver being in the part of the aid that sits behind the ear, it is

placed inside a small dome that fits inside the ear canal. The

result? A natural, comfortable fit and a BTE hearing aid that

would make Grandma smile!

For More Information BTE Hearing Aid, Call American Hearing &

Balance At: (818) 396-8161

Or

Visit Us At:

http://hearing-aids-glendale-ca.com