Hearing Aids

The Lyric is a non-surgically implantable invisible hearing aids. This device stays in your ear for up to 3 months at a time. You do not have to remove the device during that time. You can exercise, sleep and shower with it in. The Lyric is the most user-friendly device available. It is a good option for people who don’t want to worry about inserting hearing aids and caring for them on a daily basis. Additionally, it offers very natural sound quality because the sound is delivered extremely close to the eardrum. It does require an ear that is a certain size, shape and level of health, which we can assess in our clinic.

If you have questions about hearing aids, please contact us.

Open fit or Receiver “in the canal” – these hearing aids are small devices placed behind the ear with a slim tube or wire attached to the device and inserted down the ear canal. They are non-occluding (they do not block your ear).

This style is generally best for people with a high frequency hearing loss or mild to moderate hearing loss. They used to be best used for those with a high frequency hearing loss only. More recently they can be made with a custom dome tip to help those with some low frequency hearing loss and those with more moderately severe losses which is an excellent advancement to provide more natural sound to those with significant hearing loss.

We like Open fit or Receiver in the ear hearing aids for most of our patients who are active and want something that is not noticeable in their ears. Because these devices tuck behind the ear nicely, generally the only part that can be seen in the wire that enters the ear canal. Even the tiny wire can be hard to see.

These devices are compatible with Bluetooth, with is great for TV, phone and FM device listening. 

There are some requirements to use these open fit or receiver in the ear hearing aids effectively however. The most important thing is that the patient has enough dexterity to put these hearing aids on. We take our time to practice this repeatedly so that our patients feel like the hearing aids are inserted and don’t fall out of the ears. They are made with a special retention piece that is critical for retention as well.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) – The BTE is general a slightly larger device than the Open fit or Receiver in the canal although it looks similar. It is designed to sit comfortably behind your ear while the amplified sound passes down a tube to a custom made earmold that fits securely into your ear. Because they are larger, BTEs can accommodate bigger batteries for longer life and larger amplifiers for maximum amplification. BTEs are suitable for moderate to profound hearing losses. BTEs work best for people who have both a low and high frequency hearing loss. Those with a high frequency hearing loss only could feel that their ear is ‘plugged up’ or blocked if they wear BTEs. Many BTEs are now rechargeable. 

Generally patients with more significant hearing losses are a good fit for BTEs as they will be guaranteed to have enough power to meet their hearing loss needs over the next several years. BTEs are durable, reliable and can be ordered to be extremely dust and moisture resistant.

Although BTEs are a good choice for many of these reasons, they can be somewhat challenging to learn to insert because there are two parts to insert. We practice repeatedly with our patients and once inserted, BTEs are extremely unlikely to fall out of the ear.

BTEs are compatible with Bluetooth devices, which is important since many people who have BTEs also have severe hearing loss and can greatly benefit from related TV, phone and FM devices that work through bluetooth.

In-the-ear (ITE) – In the ear hearing aids are custom made to fit securely in your outer ear. ITEs are suitable for mild to severe hearing losses. They are good for individuals who want an easy to use solution as they are one piece only and quite easy to insert into the ear canal. They are an ideal solution for people with dexterity issues. ITEs are best suited for people who have a high frequency hearing loss with at least some low frequency loss as well. Those with a high frequency hearing loss often feel that their ear is ‘plugged up’ or blocked if they wear ITEs. ITEs can get plugged with wax so patients who don’t have serious wax issues are best suited for ITEs. These are compatible with Bluetooth devices.

In-the-canal (ITC) – In the canal hearing aids are custom-made to fit almost entirely inside your ear canal, making them difficult to notice. ITCs are suitable for mild to moderately-severe hearing losses. These are the easiest of all hearing aids to insert. They do sound best for paitents who have at least some hearing loss in the low frequencies as well as the high frequencies. They can get plugged with wax, so ears that are not extremely waxy are the best fit for ITCs. These are compatible with Bluetooth devices.

Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) – Completely in the canal hearing aids fit deep inside your ear canal so that they’re practically invisible. The benefits include cosmetic appeal, and they are suitable for mild to severe hearing losses. They can take practice to learn how to insert completely. They can also get plugged with wax so they are best recommended for those without significant ear wax accumulation. CICs use a small size 10 battery and therefore need to be replaced more frequently than the larger batteries used in other hearing aids. Some of these devices are now compatible with Bluetooth devices.

Invisible in the canal (IIC) – Invisible in the canal hearing aids fit very deep in the ear canal. They are the hearing aids that many people refer to as ‘invisible daily wear’ and can normally only be seen if someone looks down the ear canal. IICs are suitable for mild to moderately-severe hearing losses. They take practice at learning to insert, so those with good dexterity are good candidates for IICs. They can also be affected by wax so those without significant wax accumulation issues are best suited for IICs. Because these hearing aids are very small, they take a size 10 battery which needs to be replaced more frequently than the larger batteries in larger hearing aids. These devices are not normally compatible with Bluetooth devices as they are so small.