What is an open fit hearing aid?
Question
What is An Open Fit Hearing Aid?
Answer
Open Fit hearing aids are undoubtedly best sellers these days, and may be just what you've been looking for in terms of comfort and clarity of sound.
We think these slim design instruments give the most natural sound quality from a hearing aid. This is because they leave your ear canal open, offering relief from occlusion (that feeling of talking with your fingers in your ears), and only the frequencies that you need help with are amplified.
Open Fit hearing aids do tend to be more comfortable for many people. Appearance-wise these devices look similar to a Behind The Ear (BTE) aid, but are much smaller. The part that sits behind the ear (the case) is much smaller compared to BTE and there is a tiny tube that connects this part to the ear canal. On the other end of the tube, it is connected to a very soft, small tip (silicon, mostly) that holds the tube in place inside the canal. No ear mould is involved.
How does it work?
The magic of Open Fit stems down to this: the tiny tips in the canal enable low frequency sounds to flow in and out of the ear without being amplified. Some standard hearing aids (which effectively seal the ear canal) can amplify your own voice, for example, as well as your chewing and coughing. In open fit this isn’t an issue because the low tones can escape past the special tip without being amplified. As a result of its design, the technology of Open Fit is more compatible for people with minor or moderate hearing loss.
Open fit hearing aids are best sellers nowadays, even more popular than In The Canal (ITC) hearing aids which have been incredibly popular for years. These are just some of the reasons why:
No intrusive fitting procedures
You don't need ear impressions as there isn’t a mould to fit inside your ear, it makes the fitting incredibly straight forward as your audiologist simply chooses a tube and tip that suits your outer ear size. One particular benefit is that you can try a few different devices straight away to see exactly how well each device would work for you.
Hidden away
Open fit hearing aids are almost invisible. The case behind the ear is tiny and the transparent tube sits closely against your skin. The tip in your ear is also incredibly small, making it difficult to spot whether you have some hair over your ear or not.
Put an end to occlusion
As mentioned already, Open Fit eliminates the feeling of occlusion as there is no ear mould sitting in the canal. Whilst some people are unbothered by the feeling, many are put off by modern invisible style of aids because they rely so heavily on ear moulds. You get the best of both worlds with Open Fit.
Comfort
Open fit devices are very small, soft and lightweight. Predominantly silicon, they are virtually unnoticeable to the wearer once in place. In fact, some people forget they are wearing them due to the tiny case and receiver.
Try them for yourself! For impartial information on these devices contact YourHearing.co.uk today. As we are totally independent, we have no vested interest in any brand, make or retailer, and the guidance you receive is completely tailored to your individual needs.
Date: Tuesday 16th June, 2020
Published in: Hearing Aid Questions
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