'Open-Ear' hearing aid solutions

Open ear hearing aids account for the vast majority of hearing aids fitted in our clinics due to their superior performance in background noise and excellent cosmetic appeal. They have also helped many tinnitus patients overcome the listening difficulties associated with ringing in the ears.

The latest Open Ear hearing aids consist of a micro behind the ear unit which can be matched to the individuals hair colour to make it virtually invisible to anyone but the wearer. This unit houses the multiple microphone array and the processor which “tunes” the sound to your specific hearing loss. Attached to this unit is a very fine plastic tube which contours to the ear’s shape and gently enters the ear canal. A tiny speaker unit is attached to the tube which presents the sound to the wearer.

The speaker unit which is gently placed in the ear canal is “acoustically transparent” which means the ear canal remains “open” thereby allowing normal perception of one’s own voice. That is, with open-ear hearing aids the patient no longer has to put up with the “blocked up” feeling commonly associated with more conventional hearing aids which block the ear canal.

Another advantage to of an open canal is the patient no longer has to remove their hearing aid whilst talking on the phone (mobile phones included!). Some of the more advanced open-ear hearing aids can even communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth for crystal clear, hands free operation of their mobile phone.

The placement of the amplifier behind the ear allows the manufacturers to include the latest in hearing aid technology, including multiband adaptive directional microphones for optimum speech perception in the most difficult of listening environments. The directional microphones automatically adjust to focus on the most important speech signals allowing the listener to hear clearly through the background noise (much like what occurs with those with normal hearing).

Tinnitus patients often have a mild hearing loss in the same region as their tinnitus pitch/frequency, most commonly associated with damage to the tiny hair cells of the inner ear. Therefore, tinnitus patients will often report that their tinnitus interferes with their hearing in areas of background noise. The new open-ear hearing aids have proved to be very beneficial for tinnitus patients as the open ear hearing aids provide a “masking effect” to their tinnitus which makes it essentially inaudible in most listening situations.

There are many benefits to the latest open-ear style hearing aids, but what has been the most exciting aspect of this new technology, is that for the majority of high frequency hearing losses, this amazing technology can be customised and trialed on the day. This allows the patient to be absolutely certain that what they are purchasing is beneficial for their individual needs. So why not contact one of our clinics to arrange your own “Open Day Trial”

Call us on 1800 622 121 to find out more about 'open-ear' hearing solutions or to arrange a free trial.