Inner-ear hearing aids - are they any good?

These forums are completely different to the ones I'm used to! So sorry about the randomness of my post. Basically I have the NHS digital ones now in both ears - they are very good I can hear very well with them.

Problem is I wear glasses and use the phone for work and they are so awkward with them - I have to remove them to answer the phone and just wearing them with glasses is uncomfortable.

Any views on the inner-ear ones? (hidden hearing I believe they're called).

Thank you!

You should be able to use the phone with the T switch of either of your hearing aids.... You wouldn't have to hold the phone tight to your head then.

It will depend on whether there is an in the ear model suited to your loss range.

Sorry I can't advise any more than that.

Just had a thought.... do you mean take your glasses off to answer the phone?? Sorry if I muddled up....

"Any views on the inner-ear ones? (hidden hearing I believe they're called)."

Beware... there is a firm called Hidden Hearing. In-the-Ear H/A's are available from all qualified audiologists. The High Street suppliers like Boots and Specsavers, plus the established independent hearing aid suppliers, will be able to offer significantly better terms. You will also have access to service locally for routine aftercare, servicing, etc



"Are they any good?"

Try them out before you commit. Again, use a local supplier, preferably by personal recommendation. ITE's are not always the answer, and indeed may not be suitable for you. Getting the right advice from someone you can trust is the key.


"I wear glasses and use the phone...."

BTE's harder than ITE's to use with glasses, but many modern BTE's are really very very small now and hardly interfere physically with glasses at all.
More important is to be shown correctly how to hold the phone when using a BTE. You also have Automatic Telephone on most aids now, so less and less of a problem there as well.

Smoker

One other point (and true for everybody) is reliabilty.
ITE aids suffer greater issues with faults caused by moisture and wax ingression.
Care of an ITE must be place high on your daily priority to avoid problems.

BTE aids are by their nature more reliable (part of my history is many years working for a major manufacturer in the UK, i've seen the figures).
One simple example, you can wash a BTE earmould, you can't wash an ITE aid!
Also, it's morecost effective to replace a BTE's earmould replaced than to get a ITE reshelled (over time your ear may change shape).

Personally, if i had to choose, i'd go for a smaller, open fit BTE (if that is suitable for your loss)