At Ritcey Hearing Aids, our foremost concern is to help people with hearing loss to hear better.

Hearing Instrument technology has grown in large measure in recent years. We are pleased to offer access to the latest hearing aids through world renowned leading companies such as Oticon, Starkey, Phonak and Unitron.

We can help you decide which hearing aid is the best for you, depending on your range of hearing loss. We have a wide range of makes, styles and colours that are both functional and attractive.

Our hearing aids come with manufacturer's warranties that offer long term satisfaction and peace of mind along with your decision to purchase new hearing aids.
    > 2 Year repair warranty - All repairs made under the warranty for 2 years, no cost
    > 1 Year loss warranty - A lost hearing aid is replaced for a minimum replacement fee
    > 90 day trial period - Aids may be returned for any reason, for a full refund, within a 90 day period

In choosing the right hearing aid for you, we take two major factors into consideration: the style of hearing that would best suit you and the level of performance technology that is best for your needs. We need to determine the degree and nature of your hearing loss. Then we need to match the degree of power that you need with the style that is most appropriate. Cosmetic appeal and manual dexterity are also important considerations when choosing the right style of hearing aid to suit your particular needs.

The following gives you a guide to the major different styles and performance points available:

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid

Just as its name suggests, this type of hearing aid sits on top of and behind the ear. Amplified sound is sent to the ear through tubing and a custom crafted ear-piece called an earmold. Because the electronics are behind the ear and not in the actual ear canal, BTEs are often recommended for individuals with chronic ear infections or those who produce a large amount of ear wax. Behind-the-ear hearing aids and earmolds are now available in a variety of colours and designs. They are also much smaller and slimmer than in the past. These hearing aids can accommodate for even a profound hearing loss and can have excellent flexibility in how they are programmed.

Best For:

• all degrees of hearing loss, even very profound losses
• chronic ear infections / ear wax

Open Fit hearing aid

Open fit hearing aids are similar to the BTE style of hearing aid in that the amplifier and the electronics sit on top of the ear. However there are important differences. First, they tend to be much smaller than BTE hearing aids, and the tubing is much smaller with a small tip that fits into the ear canal.

These hearing aids come in a variety of colours, can be very stylish, very comfortable and deliver a more natural sound. This technology is continually developing but at this time, these hearing aids are not the best for all types of hearing loss. They are best for mild to moderate hearing loss, particularly in the high frequency ranges.

Best For:

• mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss
• those looking for a more stylish, more natural feeling hearing aid

In-the-ear (ITE), In-the-Canal (ITC) and Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) hearing aid

This type of hearing aid fits completely in the ear and outer ear canal. These products are made from an impression of the ear and are custom fit for the individual. There are several sizes of custom hearing aids:

• CIC (Completely-in-the-canal) which is very small and discreet
• ITC (In-the-Canal) Slightly bigger than the CIC
• Half Shell - Fills about half of the bowl of the ear (the concha)
• Full Shell - Fills the bowl of the ear

These are popular styles for adult hearing aid users but there can be disadvantages for children using them. Because young children's ears are continually growing, this results in the need for frequent re-casing of the hearing aids to ensure a proper fit. Also, because this size of hearing aid is not powerful enough to provide adequate amplification for severe or profound hearing loss, a behind-the-ear hearing aid is required for those individuals.

Best For:

• mild to moderate hearing loss
• adults (vs. children)

Technology

In the late 1990’s digital hearing aids became available, completely transforming the way hearing aids work. All new hearing aids today are digital. Digital hearing aids provide a better listening experience by increasing the clarity of speech, reducing background noise, and minimizing feedback. We computer program your hearing aids in our clinic and we can make adjustments based on your individual needs.

There are many different makes and models of digital hearing aids, and the technology is constantly being improved. Current hearing aids can be classified into three main groups of technology: entry level, mid level and advanced. The choice you make in purchasing hearing aids will depend upon the degree of your own hearing loss, the financial commitment you wish to make, and your own individual needs and lifestyle.

Basic Performance

These are the most basic models available. However, they still offer excellent amplification. Indeed, in terms of performance, they are miles ahead of the older models of hearing aids. Because of the leaps in technology, some entry level hearing aids are beginning to receive some of the features previously reserved for mid level instruments such as directional microphones, which give you more clarity and sound quality, and sophisticated feedback reduction technology, means a decrease in the whistling sounds that were often characteristic of the older hearing aids.

Advanced Performance

The two biggest differences that mid level hearing aids have over the entry level are an increase in fine tuning and an improvement in background noise reduction. These hearing aids provide significantly more fine tuning options allowing us to meet your hearing requirements more precisely. They also usually provide an increase in listening environment programs available which results in understanding speech more clearly in multiple settings. The improvement of the directional microphone option will greatly aid in reducing sounds from behind you, helping you to hear the speech sounds in front more clearly. There is also more sophisticated background noise suppression system which will again help you to hear speech more clearly. At this level some companies also begin to offer remote controls which make adjusting your hearing aids even easier. The newer aids on the market, in this performance range, even have binaural processing, which means that your two hearing aids will work cooperatively together to identify sounds and thereby hear better.

Premium Performance

Premium level hearing aids feature the latest technology designed to optimize your hearing, your comfort, and your multi-media needs within an increasingly technical world. They include the most advanced directional microphone systems which are much more capable of reducing background noise and helping speech to come through more clearly. They also have more sophisticated feedback reduction algorithms to help eliminate most of the whistling. They have many different program settings designed to optimize listening in varying environments. Then there are the model by model items which can include advanced adjustment capability via remote control, blue tooth communication with cell phones and other electronic devices, wind noise reduction technology and much more. These devices truly make a large difference for anyone who finds them self having a hard time hearing in restaurants, family gatherings, groups, meetings, church, or any other difficult listening environment.

Set up an appointment today for a full evaluation that will assure you that you get the hearing aids that best suit all of your needs.