Hearing aids come in all different shapes, styles and sizes. Perhaps you’ve thought about getting a hearing aid but you’re worried about how it will look and have the old fashioned big beige image in your mind. At Healthy Hearing we only fit the very best technology and will ensure it is comfortable and as discrete as possible.

The most common styles of hearing aids:

Behind the Ear

Behind the Ear

(BTE)

In BTE hearing aids, the complete technology is contained inside a durable case that sits on the back of the outer ear. Sounds are transmitted to the user’s ear directly, via a small tube or through an ear mold. BTE hearing aids have traditionally been the largest, but also the most powerful hearing aids available.

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Receiver in Canal

Receiver in Canal

(RIC)

The receiver in the canal (RIC) hearing aids are our best selling model due to its discrete size and natural sound quality. Sitting comfortably behind the ear, the microphone is housed in the outer case with a very thin tube running into a receiver which sit within the ear canal. RICs offer crisp quality sound which travels directly into the ear canal.

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Lyric

Lyric

Lyric is one of the world’s most unique hearing aids. It sits completely in the ear and is the only 100% invisible hearing aid that lasts for months without replacement, changing of batteries or maintenance.

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Custom Made In the Ear

Custom Made In the Ear

(ITE/ITC/CIC/IIC)

In-the-ear hearing aids are custom-made to fit the shape of your ear. There are different types and sizes of in-the-ear hearing aids and not each type is suitable for everyone due to ear shape and ear canal size.

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Style Comparison

Behind the Ear
Receiver in Canal
In the Ear
Lyric
Advantages
  • Suited to all types of hearing loss – including profound losses
  • Larger casing can house more powerful batteries, meaning they don’t have to changed as frequently
  • Frequently available in rechargeable models and with Bluetooth connectivity
  • Discrete and sleek design
  • Frequently available in rechargeable models and with Bluetooth connectivity
  • More natural sound due to the receiver being in the ear canal
  • Dual-microphones help to improve speech understanding in noise
  • Really discrete
  • Being in the ear means wearing glasses is a lot easier
  • Available in a wide choice of options and sizes
  • Completely invisible and stays in the ear all the time
  • Once fitted there’s no need to worry about batteries or cleaning
  • Natural sound as it’s next to the ear drum
Disadvantages
  • Larger in size which means they are less discrete
  • Less natural and crisp sound quality compared to a receiver-in-canal hearing aids as the sound is being transmitted through a tube
  • They can get in the way of glasses and get pulled off if wearing a face mask
  • Can be visible with very short hair
  • Domes will need replacing
  • Not always available with rechargeable options
  • Less connectivity options
  • Not suitable for more severe hearing losses due to the lack of power
  • Does not have Bluetooth capabilities due to small size
  • Has to be fitted by an audiologist and appointments needed every 3-4 months to change the device
  • More expensive option as it is a yearly subscription