You may have noticed that a friend has a hearing aid with a special end piece that fits in their ear.
Or maybe you’ve seen one of your favorite musicians on stage wearing something colorful in their ear. Ever wonder what these pieces are for or how they are made? We’ve got you covered!
In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about custom earmolds for hearing aids and beyond.
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Let's start with a look at the various hearing aid styles that allow custom earmolds.
There are three main styles to consider as you look for the right hearing aid.
Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) - Most Common
This style of hearing aid has a little speaker that is located directly in the ear canal, while the rest of the hearing aid parts sit behind the ear. The nice thing about it is that the sound source is very near the eardrum, where it needs to go. On top of that speaker, a dome tip or earmold will be used to couple the speaker to your ear and sit properly in your ear canal.
RIC hearing aids are the most common style across all brands and manufacturers. Many people with mild or moderate hearing loss choose open domes instead of custom-earmolds for their RIC devices. Open domes allow more ambient sound into the ear and are more discreet.
RIC hearing aids can be fit with custom earmolds (usually for those with severe hearing loss or hearing loss in low frequencies.
Note: if you’ve seen any of these acronyms: RIC, RIE, RITE - they all mean the same thing. Essentially, the receiver (another word for the speaker) is located in your ear.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) - Most Powerful
Slightly larger with a piece that sits behind the ear and a tube that pushes sound from your hearing aid into the ear canal. BTE styles are often prescribed for those with more significant hearing loss.
This style of hearing aid has the speaker and all other parts of the device located in the piece that sits behind the ear. The sound is then funneled to the ear through either: 1) an earmold and tubing or 2) a slim tube and dome tip.
In most cases, a BTE hearing aid is the best option for more severe hearing loss. An earmold with tubing will be the best option here. Closing off the ear canal with a custom earmold helps achieve more amplification without risking feedback.
Custom in-the-ear (includes IIC, CIC, ITC, half shell, full shell) - Most Discreet
Hearing aid wearers can also choose a hearing aid that goes inside the (without any piece behind the ear). This style stays clear of masks and glasses and can be entirely invisible. Custom in-the-ear devices often offer fewer features in terms of connectivity, microphone configuration, and sound quality.
Most premium hearing brands require a custom earmold to prescribe in-the-ear styles of hearing aids. Signia Silk and Eargo are two brands that buck this trend with read-to-wear products that sit inside the ear.
