CIC Hearing Aid - Discretion Without Sacrificing Quality

If you’ve decided it’s time to invest in a hearing aid device but aren’t looking forward to the awkward looks and questions from friends when you start wearing it, it’s important that you know about a revolutionary new design that’s making it easier than ever to wear a hearing aid without detection from inquiring eyes.

A CIC hearing aid (completely-in-canal) is exactly what it sounds like, a hearing aid that fits completely down in the ear canal of the wearer. In-canal hearing aids are a great alternative to the more traditional behind-the-ear models without sacrificing any power or quality.

Offered by most major hearing device manufacturers on the market today, CIC hearing aids are usually custom made just for the user’s ear canal, ensuring maximum comfort and performance. Most auditory experts report that in-canal hearing aids are actually better at mimicking the natural auditory process better than any other style of hearing aid, thus producing a more natural hearing lifestyle for the wearer.

When the technology was new, the in-canal was thought to be better suited to the needs of those with mild to moderate hearing loss, but now some companies like Phonak and Oticon are offering high powered models with the same tiny size.

According to hearing professionals, like speech therapists, otologists and audiologists, the  hearing aid is superior to traditional behind the ear models mostly because of the their acoustic advantages. Because they are worn inside the ear and are therefore closer to the eardrum, in-canal hearing aids are better able to distinguish and simulate speech patterns, sound nuances and environmental sounds.

The makers of in-canal hearing aids know how important it is to be able to hear a grandchild’s first words, the chirping of birds outside the window, or the higher pitched voice of a female friend over lunch at your favorite restaurant, and designed the delicate technology of their devices to make these things possible.

Despite being the favorite of users that desire an undetectable device, it’s important to remember that the hearing aid does have its drawbacks. Because it employs such advance, miniature technologies, the in-canal hearing aid is quite a bit more expensive than the more traditional behind-the-ear devices.

If keeping a low budget is important to you, you should also keep in mind that because these devices are smaller and worn directly in the ear canal, they are more likely to suffer from earwax build up, putting them at a much higher risk for costly repairs.