Advanced Prescription Hearing Aid Technology

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Advanced Technology Prescription Hearing Aids: Small, Discrete, and Powerful

Prescription hearing aid technology is only one piece in the jigsaw of achieving better hearing, but it’s the piece that prevents people from taking a positive step-change toward getting help. You probably remember the bulky, noisy devices your parents or grandparents struggled with when someone mentions prescription hearing aids.

Thanks to advanced hearing aid technology, you can remove that outdated stigma from your mind.

Streamlined, lightweight, fashionable, and nearly invisible, today’s hearing aids usually go unnoticed by those around you. Advanced hearing aid technology produces better performance with a more natural sound and greater control over background noise in various environments.

Many feature rechargeable batteries, putting an end to having to frequent changes. Since they are digital, you can also link your prescription hearing aids to your television, cell phone, or computer for an enhanced hearing experience.

Today’s technology not only amplifies your hearing, but it also amplifies your life. Because there are so many great features and benefits, your greatest challenge will be deciding which style and options to choose.

The Different Styles of Prescription Hearing Aids that Fit Both Your Needs and Lifestyle

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Receiver-in-Canal (RIC)

RIC hearing aids are a modification of BTE devices that provide a comfortable, open-fit design perfectly suited for nearly all types of hearing loss. RICs house its technology in a hard plastic shell that sits comfortably on the ear, but the speaker is fed into the ear canal using a comfortable, flexible dome, designed to allow sound to pass through naturally. This design helps to reduce wind noise and feedback. They are smaller, lighter weight, and allow a little more wearing discretion than BTE devices and are a very popular choice for most wearers.

In-The-Ear (ITE)

ITE instruments place BTE and RIC technology inside a hard plastic shell, which is molded to the unique contours of your outer ear canal. Full-shell in-the-ear technology provides powerful, clear sound for all degrees of treatable hearing loss. Ease of adjustment is enhanced because you can remove the entire unit to make adjustments and then reinsert it. Individuals who wear glasses or use an oxygen cannula benefit from this style because there is no interference or discomfort like with the BTE components of other styles. ITE devices use larger batteries with a longer life than all other styles and come in a variety of sizes, color options, and customizable controls.

In-The-Canal (ITC)

Slightly smaller than ITE devices, ITC hearing aids are designed to fit further into the ear canal. ITC devices are easy to insert/remove and won’t interfere with glasses, hats, oxygen cannulas, or other headwear. Custom molding to your unique ear shape allows them to stay put when you’re on the move. This style is a great option for wearers with a casual to active lifestyle and all types of treatable hearing loss and can be customized with external control options to meet your adjustment needs.

Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC)

Going deeper still, CIC devices are custom molded to fit further into the ear canal than ITC devices and use a tiny clear plastic post for placement and removal. Powerful, subtle, and customized for a snug, comfortable fit in your ear canal, CIC devices are a great fit for activity-filled days with friends and family. Their deeper fit helps to eliminate wind interference for a more natural hearing experience and greater clarity. Added Bluetooth® technology makes it possible for your device to become the hub for streaming phone calls and other media directly into your ears. All levels of treatable hearing loss can take advantage of these highly discrete hearing instruments.

Invisible-In-the-Canal (IIC)

IIC hearing aids are 100% invisible, digital, and fully programmable. This style of instrument is designed for a snug fit near the second bend of the ear canal. The IIC hearing system packs clarity and power into the tiniest of packages, allowing the greatest discretion, and is ideal for those with a very active lifestyle. These highly innovative devices have the most advanced sound-processing and noise-reduction technology available, automatically adjusting to whatever environment you’re in, which allows you to direct your full attention to the people and things you care about most rather than your hearing device. Those with all but the most severe degrees of hearing loss qualify for these super-discreet devices.

Behind-The-Ear (BTE)

Continuing the design of older analogue hearing aids, behind-the-ear units offer the most flexible, adaptable, and powerful technology available. Custom earmolds fit comfortably in your outer ear and ear canal and the open-canal earpieces prevents the “plugged up” feeling some users experience. BTE units house the speaker and microphone inside a hard plastic casing that sits snugly on the ear and sends processed sound to the earpiece through acoustic tubing. They are easy to adjust with simple switches to control volume and adjust program settings to match your environment.

Over The Counter (OTC)

These pioneering hearing-enhancing earbuds have been specifically engineered with advanced medical-grade technology, to help you focus on what you want to listen to, without just turning up the volume.
The innovative design uses 4 dedicated microphones to reduce background noise and improve speech clarity, so whether you’re chatting with your partner in a busy café or catching up with friends over dinner, the sounds that matter will be crystal-clear.

Schedule Your Hearing Consultation

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A comprehensive hearing consultation is your first vital step toward regaining the independent and rewarding lifestyle you are missing due to hearing loss. An open and honest discussion about your hearing issues with a professional audiologist enhances the accuracy of the diagnosis and greater precision when it comes to treatment.

If you or a loved one is struggling with hearing, your best solution is to schedule a comprehensive hearing consultation to find out why.

Charlotte Ann Barber Avatar
Charlotte Ann Barber
5/09/2022
"A privilege to hear again"

I have worn hearing aids for years. Recently I had to go without one of them for about two weeks. I missed it so much! Being able to hear is a privilege for some of us, due to hearing loss. I am absolutely joyful because I can hear with both ears again. I hope I never have to go without my hearing aids again!

If you are debating whether or not you should get hearing aids, take my word for it; being able to hear is a wonderful gift for yourself. If you can’t hear, the world becomes a closed off place to you. Being able to hear opens up all the world, especially your family and friends, to you again.
Julie, at South Sound Audiology, has been a pleasure to work with. She really understands how to help get your hearing to the optimum. I highly recommend her.