Different Types of Hearing Aids:
Receiver In Canal (RIC):
Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids sit behind the ear and deliver sound directly into the ear. This is because the receiver is located outside of the hearing aid itself and instead inside ear canal. The hearing aid and receiver are connected by a discreet ‘receiver wire’ which houses an electrical cable.
Receiver-in-canal models, small, stylish and superbly discreet; its high-end features deliver outstanding hearing, so that wearer with practically all levels of hearing loss can hear effortlessly in every situation. It is attached to the main body of the RIC hearing aid by an electronic wire. With RIC hearing aids, sound is sent directly from the housing behind your ear through a thin wire to the receiver which is in your ear canal. Not only do they provide outstanding sound, they are discreet and are fully automatic.
CIC hearing aids:
CIC hearing aids a very small hearing aid that fits comfortably completely inside your ear canal. Besides it is to help with mild to moderate hearing loss.
They are designed and sculptured to fit almost entirely inside your ear canal (external auditory meat-us). Therefore almost invisible, with only the face plate and battery drawer usually visible. Extraction cords are usually fitted to CIC hearing aids. In order to help insert and remove them from the ear.
Behind The Ear (BTE):
Behind the ear style hearing aids are a lot sleeker and slimmer than they used to be giving you a very comfortable fit and quality sound. The microphone element is the part that sits behind the ear and the receiver is connected via a thin, clear tube that is placed inside the ear that means the sounds around you.
Housed in a small curved case that fits discreetly behind the ear, BTE hearing aids are connected via a clear, thin tube to a custom made ear mould for a perfect fit. With easy-to-access controls BTE aids are ideal for users with deftness problems.
In the ear (ITE):
Custom hearing aid that fits within the outer portion of the ear.
An in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid is custom made in two styles — one that fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear (full shell) and one that fills only the lower part (half shell). Both are helpful for people with mild to simple hearing loss.
In the ear hearing aids come in a range of different colours. You can be sure of finding ones to match your hair and skin tone so they are barely noticeable without looking closely. Some people prefer in the ear versus the more conventional behind the ear styles.
The IIC is worn deep within the ear canal, allowing you to hear more of the sounds around you with a device that is hardly visible in and around your ear. You are thus given the benefit of a hearing aid without explicitly showing that you are wearing it.
Advantages of an invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aid
There are several in-the-ear hearing aids, but the IIC hearing aids are by far the smallest. They fit comfortably and deeply within your ear canal. Due to its location, the IIC is discreet and virtually undetectable. This makes it harder for others to see that you are wearing a hearing aid while still providing you with a hearing solution that will give you a noticeable improvement.
