Not being able to hear well due to aging, injury, or medical conditions, affects many parts of people’s lives. Hearing problems make it difficult to follow conversations and participate in them, which can cause people to become socially withdrawn. Hearing aids make voices and other sounds louder, so people can thoroughly enjoy interacting with others. At Tustin Ear, Nose & Throat, Sinus and Allergy Center, Dr. Hammad provides hearing aids for patients in Tustin and Los Alamitos, California.

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When Should Patients Get Hearing Aids?

Patients with signs of hearing loss, such as needing to turn the TV volume up to hear it or having to strain to listen to what others are saying, should look into getting hearing aids. These devices don’t restore hearing ability, but they amplify sounds to make them easier to hear. Those who wear hearing aids can listen to music, watch TV shows and movies without needing closed captioning, and fully participate in conversations, which improves their quality of life.

What Kinds of Hearing Aids Are There?

Dr. Hammad offers the following types of hearing aids:

  • Entirely in the canal (CIC): Smallest hearing aid
  • In the canal (ITC): Goes half in the ear and half outside the ear
  • In the ear (ITE): Fills lower half of the outer ear or fills most of the outer ear
  • Behind the ear (BTE): Hooks over the ear and connects to the ear piece with a tube
  • Receiver in Canal (RIC) or receiver in the ear (RITE): Goes over the ear and connects to the earpiece with a thin wire
  • Open fit: Same as RIC and RITE, but the earpiece leaves more open space in the ear canal

Those with mild to moderate hearing loss can usually wear any hearing aid. Those with severe hearing loss typically wear ITE, BTE, RIC, or RITE hearing aids. Dr. Hammad helps patients determine which type of hearing aid works best for them.

How Should Patients Care for Their Hearing Aids?

Patients should clean hearings aids on a regular basis. They should remove the piece that goes inside the ear canal and cleans it with water and mild soap each day. Patients should also wipe other parts of hearing aids with a clean cloth and thoroughly dry the ear canal piece before attaching it to the rest of the hearing aid. They should also do listening checks on their hearing aids each day and use a battery tester to make sure their battery still has power. Hearing aid batteries can drain abruptly instead of losing power gradually. Dr. Hammad provides patients with detailed information on proper care for hearing aids.

For more information on hearing aids, please contact Tustin Ear, Nose & Throat, Sinus and Allergy Center to make an appointment with Dr. Hammad.