Soundrich Hearing Uttam Nagar, Delhi

RIC hearing aids look almost similar to open-fit BTE hearing aids. However, the receiver is placed within the ear or the ear canal. Also, they are considerably smaller, lighter, less visible, and help in addressing most kinds of hearing loss except profound hearing loss. The advantage of RIC hearing aids is they have dual microphones, which provide adaptive directionality. Moreover, they are wireless technology enabled, and can connect easily to smartphones and TV. Some RIC hearing aids also come with larger battery sizes, which last longer. One advantage of RIC hearing aids is that they do not give the occlusion effect for the wearer.

IIC hearing aids are custom-made for every patient, by initially taking a deep impression of the ear canal up to the second bend. They are practically invisible (and hence the name, Invisible In the Canal) as they fit deeper into the ear canal than CIC hearing aids. They use smaller batteries, and therefore, have a shorter battery life. Although they are susceptible to occlusion (a feeling of blocked or plugged-up ear) and feedback, they are suitable for addressing mild to moderate hearing loss while also not making the wearer feel conscious about their visibility to others.

ITC hearing aids are slightly bigger and extend a bit farther out than CIC hearing aids. However, they also have more features as compared to CIC. They also have low feedback, and is suited for mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss.

CIC hearing aids are designed in a way that they fit inside the ear canal. Because only a small portion of them is visible externally, they are very difficult to notice, especially from a distance or when the person is facing the hearing aid wearer. They are good for both, in-person and telephonic conversations as they have low feedback, effectively block out background noise, and have a microphone. While CIC hearing aids are ideally suited to address mild to moderate hearing loss, some models also have the ability to address severe hearing loss.

While other hearing aids work primarily by amplifying sounds to enable people with reduced hearing capabilities to sense them, cochlear implants are surgically implanted electronic devices that mimic the natural hearing function of the inner ear. Thus, they serve to replace the function of a damaged inner ear and work by directly stimulating the auditory nerve. They are best for people with profound hearing loss, as they serve to bypass the damaged inner ear completely. They are suitable for both, adults as well as children, who experience moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. They may also be recommended if the use of other hearing aids is shown to have limited benefit (such as preoperative test scores of ≤ 50% sentence recognition in the ear in which a hearing aid is implanted or ≤ 60% in the opposite ear of the hearing aid implant or binaurally)

Hearing aids with bluetooth connectivity enable users to connect to external devices such as smartphones or smart TV, thus providing a near to normal experience to the patient. Moreover, because of their remote connectivity, they eliminate the need to visit the clinic too many times as they allow a hearing care professional to remotely fine-tune the hearing aid and also obtain data of your surrounding environment and set it using a smartphone. Such hearing aids are clinically proven to deliver a better experience in noisy environments. Moreover, they are highly intelligent and can adapt to any environment without the need for manual adjustments. Their binaural streaming enables 2 instruments to work in a synchronized manner.

BTE hearing aids are the most familiar type of hearing aids. They are housed in a small, durable case, and they rest behind the outer ear. BTE hearing aids are used to address all types of hearing losses and are capable of providing greater sound amplification when compared with other types of hearing aids. While they are slightly larger in size, they are sturdy, have a longer battery life comparatively, and are easier to handle. BTE hearing aids are the best choice for hearing impaired kids.