According to The Royal National Institute for Deaf People, 41.7% of over 50-year-olds and 71.1% of the over 70-year-olds have some kind of hearing loss.

There are many reasons for loss of hearing, some are directly linked with medial conditions, some are caused due to our lifestyle choices during the years such as loud music and some are age related known as presbycusis. Progressive deterioration of hearing ability (presbycusis) happens as the body ages. The cochlear hair cells (our sensory receptors) may become damaged which results in a high-frequency hearing loss that can start as early as middle age.

First Step Getting A Diagnosis:

If you suspect you might be suffering from a hearing loss, you should get a diagnosis. Your first point of call is to visit your GP where a basic hearing test will be performed or you might get referred to a specialist in hearing called an audiologist. Side by side with seeking medial consultation you may want to undertake an online hearing test which is normally quick, free and accurate. The online hearing test is a type of Speech-in-noise check which uses spoken numbers in two different types of background noise. It is important to take action and seek professional help, especially if the hearing loss results from a medial condition.

What Are Hearing Aids:

For most people with mild to moderate hearing loss, a device called a digital hearing aid will likely be recommended by your GP or the audiologist. There are over two million hard of hearing people in the UK who use hearing aids, and 1.4 million use them on a daily basis. Digital hearing aids are wearable micro-computers which are either programmable or pre-programmable, can suppress background noise and are very lightweight.

What To Look For? Often hard of hearing people look at various aspects of the aid. Some are looking for comfort, some are looking for discreteness and others look for a low cost solution. There are 5 common types of digital hearing aids, which are varied from one to the other by how they fit on the wearer's ear. In this article we'll touch on the differences between each type.

Over The Ear Hearing Aid (OTE) - Also known as OTE hearing aid, it's a type of digital hearing aid which fits over the ear as the name suggests. Although popular, OTE are less discreet compared to other types.

Completely in The Ear Hearing Aid (CIC) - A type of small digital hearing aid which fits right inside the ear canal and is therefore considered a more discreet hearing aid.

In The Canal Hearing Aid (ITC) - Similar to completely in the ear hearing aid, it is small, but not smaller. This means that some of the aid will be visible outside of the ear. Also known as ITC hearing aid.

In the Ear Hearing Aid (ITE)- A type of digital hearing aid which is slightly on the large side. It fits completely into the ear and due to its size, might have better amplification characteristics. Some types of ITE devices may include the ability to work with phone amplifiers.

Behind The Ear Hearing Aid (BTE) - Also know as BTE hearing aid, it's a type of digital hearing aid which is extremely popular among many of the older hard of hearing population. One part if the aid resides behind the ear, while the second fits comfortably into the ear through a tube.

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Article by UK based start up Hearing Direct™. HearingDirect.com offers aids for hearing, as well as a free online hearing test which is accurate and quick.

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