CIC (Completely In the Canal) hearing aid

The CIC, or Completely In the Canal hearing aid, is the smallest, most compact and electronically sophisticated hearing aid currently available. It has the smallest of batteries and this, combined with its ability to fit completely within the ear canal, makes it almost totally invisible when worn.

The CIC takes its name from the fact that the complete device fits within the ear canal with only a small plastic wire projecting outside the ear. This plastic wire is the means by which the hearing aid is removed from the ear canal. Without it the inserted hearing aid would be inaccessible.

Advantages and features

The biggest advantage of this hearing aid is its almost complete invisibility. The CIC hearing aid can only really be noticed when looking into the ear itself and this makes it the most discreet of any hearing aid option.

CIC’s can have conventional, digital or programmable technology and they use micro batteries.

The complete hearing aid is custom made to the individual’s ear to assure the best possible fit.

The CIC hearing aid offers the most natural of all hearing correction solutions. The combination of its position within the canal combined with the clever technology that it uses produces something very close to the natural hearing process.

Disadvantages

The CIC hearing aid will only work for mild to moderate hearing loss. It is unsuitable for severe and moderately severe hearing disorders (and also for children – see below).

A CIC aid can only be fitted if a patient has an ear canal wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the device. Unfortunately this means that some people’s ears are unsuitable, e.g. if the ear is not sufficiently deep for the CIC’s to be inserted correctly.

CIC hearing aids can be more expensive than the alternatives including the ITC. They also have a higher damage and failure level and this means that they are far from the most economic hearing loss solution.

CIC hearing aids prove almost impossible for a novice to adjust or perform battery replacement on. For these actions a technician will be required. This will also mean that features like volume control have to be set or adjusted (tuned) at a consultation and not by the wearer.

For the same reasons as an ITC aid the CIC aid has a tendency to produce feedback. Using external speakers and receivers like a telephone can sometimes be problematic.

CIC aids are never recommended for children due to the continuous growing nature of the child’s ear and the potential for the hard shell of the casing to damage a growing ear canal.

CIC hearing aids are the most vulnerable hearing aid type when it comes to damage resulting from moisture and ear wax. They are also the most difficult of hearing aids to clean.