What are BTE hearing aids?

BTE hearing aids, what are they?

Often technicalities lose us and we do not know what name each thing has. In audiology, as in many other sectors, this also happens. That is why today we are going to clarify what kind of hearing aids are the BTE. The answer is quite simple: these hearing aids are the ones that have been taken all of life and that many of us have in our heads.

This format is usually the largest in terms of hearing aids and, roughly speaking, is also the most powerful. In general terms they are designed for severe or deep losses and also for people with manipulation difficulties, but lately this has already begun to change. With the technological advances, we have been able to design hearing aids to cover the most moderate hearing loss with a slightly smaller format but always focused on people who, if they have vision problems or difficulties to handle, can put them without problems.

The majority of retroauricular transmit the information by air through a tube that is connected to the ear mould although during last years some brands have improved the aesthetics and some of these hearing aids have a new format of tube called "Slim Tube". The "Slim Tube" imitates the aesthetics of the RIC format so that the aesthetics is more discreet, among other things because the ear mould is placed inside the ear canal and its much more smaller. And so, it is thought for moderate losses.

In back-up hearing aids there is the possibility of adjusting the volume through a lever, the maintenance is simpler and changing the battery is a simple process.

For whom are hearing aids particularly preferred?

• For children. The BTEs have a format highly recommended for children's adaptations (<10 years). The most important reason is because during the growing season the ear modifies the shape and this format allows you to adjust the ear moulds without having to touch the hearing aid. That is why it is not very advisable that children wear custom-made or RIC hearing aids. They also allow the smaller ones to have more autonomy because they are easier to manipulate than other models.

• For people who generate a lot of wax in the ear. This model allows you to clean and maintain them easily because, as we have said, they are easy to use.

As a final point, and as a general rule, the BTE are also the most appropriate if we want to safeguard our pocket. Within the market are usually the most economic format or one of them.