What are those little hearing aids I keep seeing advertised on TV?
You may have noticed quite a few ads on TV recently promoting very small hearing aids. These ads show a very small and discreet hearing aid style called an IIC or Invisible In Canal hearing aid.
As its name suggests this hearing aid is designed to fit entirely in the ear canal, and not be visible from the outside.
IIC hearing aids are offer by the major hearing aid manufacturers and thus can be purchased from practically any audiologist clinic that fits hearing aids. So yes, you can get a very discreet and almost invisible IIC hearing aid from Knox Audiology!
IIC hearing aids are great if you are looking for a hearing aid that is almost invisible. They are custom made to your ear and will sit comfortably in your ear canal. However, it is important to note that these hearing aids aren’t for everyone, and may not be the best option or most suitable hearing aid for you.
To begin with, due to their size, IIC hearing aids are limited in the level of technology that can go inside them. Being so small, there is only so much tech you can fit into their tiny shell. As a result, these hearing aids do not currently come in a rechargeable option, and you do need to change the batteries as often as once a week. On that note, due to their small size, the batteries in IIC hearing aids are also small. Therefore, if you have any dexterity issues or arthritis, these hearing aids may not be the most practical option for you.
Your level of hearing loss also has a direct impact on how you will or will not benefit from wearing IIC hearing aids. For example, in a typical age-related hearing loss or even in noise induced hearing loss the lower pitched sounds are generally better than the higher pitched sounds. This means you can hear sounds like “m” “n” and vowel sounds, better than you will hear “s”, “f”, “th” ect.
Often with these types of hearing loss, we want to make sure that you can still hear the lower pitched sounds naturally using your natural hearing, and this means we need to avoid blocking up your ear canal.
Unfortunately, with IIC hearing aids they will block up your ear canal. This can cause something called the occlusion effect, meaning when you wear these hearing aids, sound becomes much louder and seems as though it is echoing. A good example is when you block your ears with your fingers and talk, it sounds as if your voice is very loud in your head.
This is often what happens when people with good hearing in the lower pitched sounds opt for these type of hearing aids.
It is always important that you have a consultation with your audiologist prior to deciding on any hearing aids. Your audiologist will be able to help you select what is best for you, you level of hearing and your hearing needs. Call Knox Audiology today to book in a hearing aid discussing with one of our friendly audiologists!