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Northland Ear, Nose,& Throat, P.C.: Shell Sizes
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Shell Sizes
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| - Hearing Aid Shell Sizes
Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC)
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): This is the smallest shell size available. This hearing aid fits deep down in the canal making it virtually invisible. Despite the cosmetic appeal, this size tends to have more disadvantages than advantages. The battery is very small; therefore, it can be difficult to change, particularly for those who have numbness in their fingers or difficulty manipulating small objects. Furthermore, the battery life is only about 4-6 days. Because of the very small size, a volume control wheel is not an option. Additionally, any excessive wax or debris that gets inside the hearing aid may cause it to be sent in for repair.
$750 - $4000 |
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| - Hearing Aid Shell Sizes
In-the-Canal (ITC)
- In-the-canal (ITC): The ITC size is slightly larger than the CIC. A volume control wheel may be put on this size if room is available. The battery size is larger and will last approximately 10-12 days. Again, due to the reduced size, wax and/or debris may cause the hearing aid to be sent it for repair.
$750 - $4000 |
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| - Hearing Aid Shell Sizes
Half-Shell
- Half-shell: The half-shell fills up approximately half of the ear. The battery size is the same as the ITC. A volume control wheel is available. This size has the capacity to house two microphones as compared to one. The second microphone allows for some noise reduction (not elimination) coming from the side and behind the listener. Speech information coming from in front of the listener will be amplified the most. The directional microphone is not an option on the sizes smaller than the half-shell.
$750 - $4000 |
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Full-Shell (ITE)
- Full Shell: The full shell hearing aid is slightly larger than the half-shell. It fills up the entire area of the ear. The battery size is larger than the half shell and will last approximately two weeks. Two microphones and/or a volume control are available. With age, the ear canal can change in size and shape. If the aid does not fit tightly in the canal, sounds can leak out of those spaces where the aid is not fitting which can result in the aid feeding back (whistling). This applies to all shell sizes that fit inside the ear and remaking the shell to fit the ear better can become very costly.
$750 - $4000 |
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| - Hearing Aid Shell Sizes
Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
- Behind-the-ear: This hearing aid is one that hangs behind the ear. It tends to have the most advantages due to the piece that fits in the ear called the earmold. The earmold is made of acrylic and does not house any circuitry. If any wax or debris gets inside the earmold, it can easily be seen and cleaned out before the debris gets into the hearing aid. Additionally, if the ear changes in shape so that the earmold no longer fits appropriately, the earmold is the only piece that would be remade as opposed to the entire hearing aid. If the hearing aid needs to be sent in for repair, the office at times can provide a loaner BTE that can be fit to the patient’s custom earmold so the user would not have to be without a hearing aid. With this type of hearing aid, the longevity is approximately 7-10 years, whereas the in-the-ear hearing aids are around 4-6 years.
$750 - $4000 |
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