Today, hearing aids have completely evolved—thanks to the growth in technology. Now, you have a wide range of treatments for hearing problems, ranging from conventional hearing aids to nearly invisible hearing aids. In fact, the number of options available for you can be overwhelming, and that's the reason why we will discuss the least intrusive types of hearing aids in this article.
In-the-canal (ITC)
These customizable hearing aids are considered to be the smallest and most invisible. The hearing aid has been specifically designed to comfortably fit into the ear canal, and they have a hard and tiny plastic casing, which ranges from 1 to 3 centimeters long. This shows how small the hearing aid is.
There are even smaller hearing aids in this category known as completely-in-the-canal or CIC. The design of these hearing aids allows them to fit deeper into an ear canal, and this results in a nearly-invisible fitting near your eardrum. The completely-in-the-canal hearing aids have typical hearing-aid features, but some come with wireless capability. People with slight to severe hearing loss can use both the ITC and CIC hearing aids.
Extended-wear (EW)
The extended-wear hearing aids are almost invisible and they don't require any maintenance. One notable thing about these hearing aids is that they combine the camouflage of the ITC hearing aids with the definitive suitability of prolonged wear. The extended-wear hearing aids provide the best services since you can wear one for several months without the need of replacing or charging the batteries.
In addition, since these hearing aids are in close proximity to your eardrums, they always give you the finest sound while minimizing background and distortion noise. These hearing aids are suitable for people with slight to severe hearing loss.
Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC)
These hearing aids are designed for anyone with slight to severe-hearing loss, and they can be customized to meet their needs. In fact, these hearing aids are recommended for any active adult. They come with directional-microphone technology, which makes it easy for the wearer to comprehend conversations in congested areas as they detect and amplify the objective speech signal as well as reduce background noise.
Conspicuousness isn't a problem with the RIC hearing aid. It's possible to attend parties, business meetings, and other social gatherings without anyone noticing that you are wearing it. The hearing aid has a small and hard plastic case that is usually concealed under your hair or behind your ear. In addition, it has a very thin wire, which picks up sound and then carries it into its speaker that fits into the ear canal. This hearing aid has several features like automatic programming, telecoil, alert signals, and volume controls.
