In The Canal Hearing Aids

Considered the best hearing aid on the market by some of the people who wear them, In The Canal Hearing Aids are custom fit to your ear canal’s size and shape. Although this style of hearing aid is slightly larger than smaller In Canal aids (like the Invisible In The Canal and Completely In Canal hearing aids) they are only partially visible in the outer ear. With a wide range of colours available, they blend in to the natural shadows of the ear.

The In The Canal Hearing Aid shell is created using impressions taken from the wearer’s ear. The components, including the microphone are housed within this shell and a tiny portion of the aid leads down into the ear canal to direct sound.

With a small increase in size comes many benefits. The ITC aid has a directional microphone which produces a better sound quality in noisy environments and the wearer can discriminate between sounds coming in front or behind them. There are also manual controls, like a volume wheel so the wearer feels more in control of what they are hearing. The can also have space for telecoil for improved connection with compatible landline phones and public loop systems.

Advantages of In The Canal Hearing Aids:

• Relatively Easy to insert and remove
• Discrete due to size and colour availability
• Custom made for you
• Easy to wear with eye glasses
• Longer battery life than IIC and CIC aids
• Directional microphone for better use in noisy situations
• Volume control options - including remote control
• Easy for phone use as microphone position naturally lines up with the phone when held normally

Disadvantages of In The Canal Hearing Aids:

• Not as discrete as IIC and CIC hearing aids
• Susceptible to damage from ear wax and moisture - so potentially less reliable than over the ear models
• Some wearers may feel ‘blocked-up’ by aid in their ear
• Not ideal for people with poor manual dexterity due to size of the aid
• No rechargeable versions yet
• Limited selection of models with built in Bluetooth
• Custom shells can break, meaning more frequent repairs compared to over the ear models.

Who does this hearing aid suit?

In The Canal Hearing Aids suit a broad spectrum of people living with hearing loss. They are most suited to people who experience mild to moderate hearing loss, but some brands produce fairly powerful models for more severe hearing loss. As the shell is still quite small, some people who have difficulty using their hands may encounter trouble maintaining and inserting this device.

If you would like more information about In The Canal hearing aids or any other hearing aid type, talk to the friendly and experienced team at Value Hearing today.