Inner West Hearing Clinic

Styles of Hearing Aids

The style of a hearing aid is essentially what the hearing aid physically looks like. For example, a hearing aid that sits over the ear that has an ear mould (section that goes in to the ear) is called a Behind The Ear (BTE) hearing aid. The following are different styles of hearing aids that are available and what types of hearing loss or specific needs they may suit:

BTE - Behind The Ear
Behind The Ear hearing aids are suitable for people who have a greater hearing loss (moderate to severe / profound), have dexterity problems and require a device that has larger controls or a preferred choice for comfort as all the working components of the device sit outside of the ear and thus tend not to “block the ear up” so much.

RIC – Receiver In the Canal
Receiver In the Canal hearing aids were initially designed for people who have normal hearing for deep (low frequency) sounds but with a hearing loss predominantly for mid to high pitched sounds. Today, due to advances in technology, they are suitable for most degrees of hearing loss. Because of the small size of these aids they are often a preferred choice for many people as they are light on the ear, discreet and comfortable to wear.

RIC – Receiver In the Canal

Receiver In the Canal hearing aids were initially designed for people who have normal hearing for deep (low frequency) sounds but with a hearing loss predominantly for mid to high pitched sounds. Today, due to advances in technology, they are suitable for most degrees of hearing loss. Because of the small size of these aids they are often a preferred choice for many people as they are light on the ear, discreet and comfortable to wear.

IIC – Invisible In the Canal
Invisible In the Canal hearing aids are custom made hearing aids that fit deeply in to the ear canal so that they are not at all visible in the ear. This style of hearing aid is not suitable for everyone as the shape and width of the individuals ear canal dictates if they will fit in the ear or not. They are also not ideal for a person who has dexterity concerns.

CIC – Completely In the Canal
Completely In the Canal hearing aids are also very discreet in the ear canal, yet do not sit as deeply in the canal as the IIC. Whether this style of hearing aid is suitable for an individual is also dictated by the shape of a person’s ear canal. They are not as powerful as the larger custom made in the ear or behind the ear hearing aids and therefore are not suitable for a person with a severe hearing loss.

CIC – Completely In the Canal

Completely In the Canal hearing aids are also very discreet in the ear canal, yet do not sit as deeply in the canal as the IIC. Whether this style of hearing aid is suitable for an individual is also dictated by the shape of a person’s ear canal. They are not as powerful as the larger custom made in the ear or behind the ear hearing aids and therefore are not suitable for a person with a severe hearing loss.

ITC – In The Canal
In The Canal hearing aids are usually slightly more visible in the ear if a person is standing on the side of the wearer. They are suitable for people with a mild to moderate hearing loss and are a little easier to manage and insert than a CIC hearing aid. Due to the physical difference in size when compared with a CIC hearing aid, additional items such as a volume control and program button can be put on these aids.

ITC – In The Canal

In The Canal hearing aids are usually slightly more visible in the ear if a person is standing on the side of the wearer. They are suitable for people with a mild to moderate hearing loss and are a little easier to manage and insert than a CIC hearing aid. Due to the physical difference in size when compared with a CIC hearing aid, additional items such as a volume control and program button can be put on these aids.

ITE – In The Ear
In The Ear hearing aids are the most powerful of the custom made hearing aids and are ideal for people who are unable to wear BTE hearing aids due to congenital or physical conditions of the outer ear. Due to the size of the hearing aids they are also often easier for a person with dexterity issues to manage.