The Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aid sits behind the ear and is coupled to a custom fitted ear mold that fits in the ear. The ear mold is the part that delivers the amplified sound from the hearing aid into the ear canal.
The custom In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aid fits completely in the outer ear and is used for mild to severe hearing loss. The outer casing, which holds the components, is made of hard plastic. It is the most widely recommended hearing aid.
The In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aid is a smaller model than the full-shell ITE and is appropriate for hearing losses from mild to moderately severe. Good manual dexterity is more important for this style.
The Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC) hearing aid is almost invisible. If cosmetic appeal is important, many have found this to be the best device for them. The appropriateness of this style of hearing aid is limited to the degree of hearing loss and ones manual dexterity.