Completely-in-the-Canal Devices: Discrete and Practical

Does your job make it difficult to wear a hearing device?

The most discrete of all hearing aids, the Completely-in-the-canal (or CIC) devices are perhaps most popular with people who value discretion and don’t want to advertise that they need help with hearing. It is great that CIC devices offer them the self-confidence of a hearing aid that is all but invisible, but there are other reasons to choose this style of device.

Perhaps your daily activities include wearing a helmet, which would catch on the external part of a conventional behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. Indeed, if your job involves using the telephone or wearing a headset, it can be uncomfortable and inconvenient when the handset bangs against the external part of a BTE device, which sits nestled behind your earflap.

Indeed, if you work outside the microphone of an external hearing device is exposed to the wind. This means amplified speech and wind noise. The fact that both microphone and receiver sit within the ear helps to shield it from the wind and thus reduce that annoying rustling sound. Being deep within the ear canal also reduces the risks of rainwater entering the device if you get caught in a downpour (although it is still wise to protect your CIC device from excess humidity and moisture.)

If you have mild to moderate hearing loss its worth giving serious thought to the benefits and CIC offers, so let’s take a look at some of the other advantages.

Better localization of sounds

With the hearing device deep in the ear, this allows the earflap to funnel sound down into the ear canal in the way that nature designed it to do. Much like a bat using echolocation to identify where an object is, when the earflap focuses sound is allows you to pinpoint where a sound comes from more accurately. This allows you to build a better picture of the world around you.

Comfort and style

BTE’s devices have an external part that sits behind the ear. These devices should be fitted by a hearing healthcare professional to ensure a good fit. However, if you prefer that light-as-air feeling of not wearing a device, but you need sound amplification, consider a CIC.

More from less

A potential disadvantage of the CIC is its small size means they can’t store the power necessary for maximum amplification. However, the good news is they are more than adequate for mild to moderate hearing loss. This is in part because the receiver is situated deep within the ear, delivering the amplified sound close up to the eardrum, enabling the ear to derive maximum benefit.

If CIC hearing aids are something you had previously overlooked, stop and give them serious consideration. Aside from the cosmetic benefit of discretion, they also offer real practical value when it comes to day-to-day living with a hearing device.