There are types of hypoacusis, such as so-called rhinogenic deafness, which is the result of an inflammation of the upper respiratory tracts, which can be cured with thermal spa treatments for example, while other types of hypoacusis, such as transmissive hypoacusis, can be operated on.

However, in more than 80% of cases, the hypoacusis is neurosensorial i.e. the damage is mainly in the cochlea, which means that the solution is the use of some kind of hearing aid, the choice of which depends on the extent of the problem and other factors.

In this case, the best solution can be chosen from a wide range of effective options: the improvement in diagnostic techniques, the continuing improvement of the hearing aids themselves, and the option of personalising the choice. These options altogether allows everyone to have an 'ad hoc' hearing aid for their particular problem.

If we wish to classify the various choices, the first consideration is the positioning of the hearing aid in relation to the ear, which is important for aesthetic reasons, while another consideration is the type of technology used.

Classified according to the positioning of the aid, there are four groups of hearing aids: behind the ear, inside the ear, glasses and case.

Classified according to their functioning, hearing aids can be divided into three types depending on the electronic circuit used: analogue, programmable or digital.