This makes it easier to hear conversations over the telephone. A telecoil also helps people hear in public facilities that have installed special sound systems, called induction loop systems. Induction loop systems can be found in many churches, schools, airports, and auditoriums. Young children usually do not wear ITE aids because the casings need to be replaced often as the ear grows.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids consist of a hard plastic case worn behind the ear and connected to a custom earmold that fits inside the outer ear. The electronic parts are held in the case behind the ear. Sound travels from the hearing aid through a plastic tube or thin wire attaching it to the earmold and into the ear. BTE aids are used by people of all ages for mild to profound hearing loss. A new kind of BTE aid is an open-fit hearing aid. Small, open-fit aids fit behind the ear completely, with only a narrow tube or wire inserted into the ear canal, enabling the canal to remain open. In addition, some people may prefer the open-fit hearing aid because their perception of their voice does not sound “plugged up.”