Hi, I’m Dr. Egan from Now Hear This, and today I’d like to talk to you about the different parts and pieces of the most common type of hearing aid—the RIC.
We get a lot of questions about this at our clinic, which is why I want to go over this topic with you today. Often, patients who call on the phone or come in to drop off their hearing aids for servicing have difficulty describing the anatomy of their hearing aid.
Understanding the Basics of a RIC Hearing Aid
This is a RIC hearing aid, and I’ll explain why it’s called a RIC hearing aid a little later on. This is the most common type of hearing aid. The body of the hearing aid goes behind the ear, and the tip goes inside the ear. It is the most versatile option for many different types of hearing loss. That’s not to say it’s the right fit for everyone, but it is the most frequently used hearing aid style that we see working successfully with patients.
Parts of a RIC Hearing Aid
1. The Body of the Hearing Aid
This is the main part of the hearing aid, which sits behind the ear. You’ll notice it has notches on it—these are the on-ear volume controls, and they can be customized for each patient.
• Some patients may have a restaurant program to help them hear better in noisy dining environments.
• Others may have a mute option for loud sporting events.
These buttons are highly specialized to fit an individual’s specific listening needs.
At the bottom of the hearing aid, you’ll either find a battery door (if the device uses disposable batteries) or a sealed casing for rechargeable models.
2. The Microphones
At the very top of the hearing aid, there are tiny slits, which might be hard to see in this video. These slits are actually the microphones of the hearing aid.
• The microphones take in sound and calculate the difference in sound levels to determine where noise is coming from.
• They can get clogged with dust, pollen, or dander, so we always teach patients how to clean them to prevent buildup.
3. The Receiver Wire
Next, we have the receiver, also commonly called the wire. This is why this hearing aid is called a RIC (Receiver-in-the-Canal).
• The receiver wire leads to the tip that goes into the ear canal, hence the name receiver-in-the-canal hearing aid.
• This receiver wire is the most fragile part of the hearing aid, so it’s often the part that wears out over time.
• If this wire malfunctions, it can be easily replaced in the clinic.
4. The Dome or Earmold
At the end of the receiver wire, there is a rubber tip (dome) that goes into the ear.
• For mild to moderate hearing loss, patients usually have a standard rubber tip.
• For more severe hearing loss, some patients require a custom earmold made to fit their ear shape.
Both the rubber tips and custom earmolds help to trap sound inside the ear and improve hearing performance.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Since earwax can build up on the dome or earmold, we always educate our patients on how to keep it clean.
• If wax clogs this part, no sound will come out, even if the hearing aid is working properly.
• Just as we need to keep the microphones clean to allow sound in, we also need to keep the earpiece clean to allow sound out.
• Keeping both ends of the hearing aid clean ensures that sound moves seamlessly through the device.
Final Thoughts
These are the major components of the most common RIC hearing aid.
I hope you learned something from this video, and of course, have a wonderful rest of your day!
