Choosing a hearing aid is not as simple as it sounds. There are many styles, methods of delivering sound into your ears and digital features, not to mention colours and applications that you can link to your phone or other devices. Selecting an aid requires the help of a trained professional and an accurate diagnostic level audiogram. Each ear is different and we evaluate each ear individually.
We have put together a simplified set of information about the different styles of hearing instrumentation available. When we evaluate your suitability for hearing instrumentation we are looking at a number of things. Degree of loss, shape of your canals, management needs, shape of your hearing loss, type of hearing loss and what situations you want to be able to hear in.
Be aware that not everyone with a hearing loss needs a hearing aid, in fact about 70% of people we evaluate with a hearing loss are NOT actually recommended a hearing aid or a device.
ICC (Invisible-In-Canal)
- About the size of a raspberry — smallest type of hearing instrument
- Custom made for your ears
- Single microphone strategically placed to optimise the natural pinna effect
- Fits deep in the ear, making it invisible
- Typically for people with mild to moderate hearing loss
- Not suitable for those with narrow ear canals
CIC (Completely-in-Canal)
- Fit inside ear canal making it almost invisible.
- Custom made
- For mild to moderate hearing loss
- microphone is at the opening of the ear canal; this style is also designed to promote the natural pinna effect needed for funnelling sound down the ear canal
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