Thin-tube fittings and open-ear fittings

Both in terms of looks and performance, thin-tube and open-ear fittings provide some exciting new hearing options. Although they are not for everyone, their affordability and the range of hearing loss they can cover has expanded greatly in the past few months.

Thin-tube open fit behind-the-ear aids, were first introduced to alleviate the common complaints of stuffed up feeling, hollow voice and noisy chewing, They had the added cosmetic benefit of being less visible on the ear than many smaller in-the-ear models. Many of the tube-fit models are extremely small behind-the-ear aids. Phonak recently introduced the Micro Power™, a small, powerful device with a receiver housed in an in-the-canal shell, attached with a thin tube to a very small behind-the-ear instrument…a small powerhouse, available with a remote control for multiple memories. In some cases, a tube fit on a more traditional size behind the ear aid can give a user all the individual special functions they need, as well as the cosmetic benefit of the thin tube. Tube-fit and open-fit devices are so well-accepted now that almost every company has some version of tube-fit aids. What varies from company to company is not looks, but how efficiently the electronics inside the device handle speech versus noise, and combat that pesky whistling or feedback.

Not a unique problem

Tube fit devices such as the Oticon Delta were engineered and designed to meet the need for a device acceptable to younger users. Every second person over the age of 50 experiences loss of speech clarity in noisy listening situations such as work, social gatherings and crowded restaurants. They may still hear well enough to get by in less demanding situations, but more and more often, they will misunderstand a few key words. Many adults hesitate to take advantage of the extra edge that amplification provides, fearing that hearing aids will make them look older and out of step with their active, busy lifestyles. But faking it or constantly asking ‘what’ can take its toll on both competence and confidence, not to mention relationships.

Hard of understanding, not hard of hearing

Experts explain that for many people with hearing loss, hearing is not the problem, understanding is. As we age, degrees of clarity impairment occur naturally, resulting in the loss of speech information found in the high frequencies. This natural loss can be exacerbated by past recreational or work-related noise exposure. This means that consonants, like “s”, “t”, and “f” are suddenly more difficult to hear --making understanding conversation difficult. To compound the difficulty, as time goes on, the human auditory system may become more and more sensitive to interference from background noise, even when the hearing test results remain the same.

An open fitting can be a real ‘consonant booster’ as well as a ‘confidence booster’. For those with high frequency hearing losses, the open ear thin tube fit, achieves extremely natural sound quality by fusing normal hearing with a subtle boost of high frequencies. This provides a communication edge in situations where understanding can be a challenge, such as in meetings, in social gatherings, in the car, or in crowded restaurants. Many open fit products have no buttons or remote control. Just put it on and forget about it.

Creating a new category.

The innovative design of the Oticon Delta placed its receiver (speaker) into the ear canal at the end of a thin, transparent sound wire. Not only does this unique approach open the way to design breakthroughs not possible before, but it created a whole new category of hearing solutions called RITE (Receiver-In-The-Ear). Combining the best of two worlds, Delta merges the cosmetic advantages of in-the-ear instruments with the technological possibilities of behind-the-ear instruments. This design has helped to alleviate three of the most chronic complaints about hearing devices…stuffed up feeling, hollow voice and noisy chewing.

Virtual demonstration and same-day fitting possible

Unlike many previous hearing instruments, the unique design of the open ear tube-fit aids makes it possible for consumers to experience the device on the spot, before they purchase it. Using personal history and data from a hearing test, the audiologist can create custom-prescribed devices, using computer software. Listening with those devices in our office, in a sound-simulated setting such as a restaurant or a noisy street, you can simultaneously see and hear the technology at work in real-time. If you like what you hear in the demonstration, it is often possible to take them home for a test drive that same day. Custom earpieces are usually unnecessary.

To learn more about whether you are a candidate for a tube fit or open ear fitting, schedule an audiogram (if your test on file is not current), and a listening demonstration.