What hearing aid do I need?

In-the-ear hearing aids

In-the-ear hearing aids, also known as ITEs, are custom-made. Your audiologist makes an impression of your ear canal, which is then sent to the manufacturer of the hearing aid. Every brand offers in-the-ear hearing aids. These devices sit in the ear and are barely visible to the outside world. In-the-ear devices are also available in very small sizes. If there is enough space in your ear, the hearing aid can be made extremely compact and placed deep in the ear canal. You can easily remove the device from your ear using a small pull cord. This type of device is called CIC, which stands for ''Completely-in-Canal'' .
An example of such a hearing aid is the Starkey Edge AI 24 CIC with Bluetooth functionality.

Advantages of IHO hearing aids:

- Cosmetically attractive and less visible
- Sound is close to the eardrum, which produces a more natural sound
- No hindrance when wearing glasses
- Prevents irritation behind the auricle
- Less wind noise

Disadvantages of IHO hearing aids:

- An in-the-ear hearing aid is more likely to fail because all the electronics are housed in a compact housing and are therefore more vulnerable
- Due to the small size, maintenance may be more difficult, especially if you have less feeling in your fingers
- If you produce a lot of earwax, the filter will quickly become clogged, requiring regular replacement.
- The small hearing aid contains a small battery, which runs out more quickly

Receiver in the Ear Hearing Aids (RIC/RIHO - Speaker in the Ear)

A RIC hearing aid, which stands for '' Receiver-in-Canal'' , is a type of hearing aid where the speaker (receiver) is placed in the ear canal, while the rest of the hearing aid sits behind your ear. This type of hearing aid provides a comfortable and natural sound reproduction, because the sound is delivered closer to the eardrum.
The RIC devices are hearing aids that sit partly behind your ear, but instead of a connecting tube they have a thin electronic wire. We would like to explain this further.
In order to bring sound to your ear canal and allow you to hear properly, the sound picked up by the hearing aid (behind your ear) must be transported to your ear canal. With BTE hearing aids, this is done with a tube that transmits the sound to a custom-made earmold, after which the sound reaches your ear canal at the eardrum.
The RIC hearing aids work a little differently. Although they also sit behind your ear, they use a different way to transport sound: a built-in loudspeaker. You can think of a RIC device as a sound system with speakers. The hearing aid functions as the system and the wire to your ear is the speaker that plays the sound in your ear. An example of a RIC device is the Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio I90-R.

Advantages of RIC hearing aids:

- No loss of sound quality
- The hearing aids are often very small
- Available in rechargeable versions
- Suitable for both mild and severe hearing losses
- Numerous options for connectivity with your mobile phone
- The wearing comfort is experienced as very pleasant

Disadvantages of RIC hearing aids:

- The speaker that sits in the ear can sometimes become blocked by earwax
- Due to their small size, they can be difficult to handle properly, so you need to be able to use them well

Lyric hearing aid

The Lyric is truly a gem among hearing aids!

This advanced system is available in seven different sizes, from XXS to XXL, to fit every ear canal. The electronics are housed in a small capsule, which is covered with soft wings that represent the different sizes. Because the Lyric can be placed deep in the ear, it offers optimal sound quality. The fitting is done by a Lyric specialist, who is trained to place this special system as deep as possible in the ear. The Lyric is also the only hearing aid that is resistant to moisture. This means that you can shower and even swim with it. Although diving is not allowed, you can swim with a specially made swimming plug.