Hearing aids in Electronic City, tried before you pay
Poorvam Hearing fits digital hearing aids (often called a hearing machine) at Electronic City Phase 1 and Phase 2, Bangalore. We test your hearing, suggest a style and price level, programme the aid, and you wear it for 7 days before deciding.
- Trial in your own life
- 7 days
- Brands we fit
- 6
- Hearing test, adjusted if you buy
- ₹800
- Centres, plus home visits
- 2
Types of hearing aids compared
Your loss, your ear canal and your hands decide the style.
| Style | Who it suits | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIC (receiver in canal) | Mild to severe loss. Most adults. | Small and natural. Usually Bluetooth and rechargeable. | Needs regular wax cleaning. |
| BTE (behind the ear) | Mild to profound loss. Stiff hands, waxy or discharging ears. | Most powerful, sturdy and easy to hold. | More visible. Strong losses need an earmould. |
| ITE (in the ear, full shell) | Mild to severe loss. | One piece, easy to put in. | More visible. Can feel blocked. |
| ITC (in the canal) | Mild to moderately severe loss. | Smaller, often with a button. | Hard with shaky hands. |
| CIC (completely in canal) | Mild to moderate loss, roomy canal. | Hard to see. Less wind noise. | Often no Bluetooth. |
| IIC (invisible in canal) | Mild to moderate loss, wide canal. | Nobody sees it. | Fits few ears. No streaming. |
Custom and invisible aids
In-ear styles are made from an impression of your ear canal, which we take at the clinic. CIC and IIC aids suit only mild to moderate loss, and only ears with enough room. They have a tiny battery and few controls, and they are hard to handle with shaky hands or weak eyesight.
A BTE suits severe loss and ears that discharge, because nothing electronic sits in the canal. A full-shell ITE has room for controls, but it can feel blocked if your low-pitch hearing is still good. BTE batteries last longer than in-ear ones.
Rechargeable or battery hearing aids?
- RechargeableCharge it overnight and it lasts the day. Easier for stiff fingers.
- BatteryCosts a little less, and a spare battery means it never goes flat.
Battery sizes, Bluetooth and phones
Most mid-range and premium aids stream calls, music and video from your phone into both ears. Bring your phone to the trial and we test a real call.
Some of the smallest custom styles come only with disposable batteries. Disposable batteries come in four sizes (10, 312, 13 and 675) and last from a few days to about two weeks, depending on size and streaming.
An app lets you change the volume or switch programs. Some brands sell a TV streamer, so the family can keep the TV at normal volume. Not every model works with every phone, and the smallest in-canal aids usually have no Bluetooth.
Choosing for a parent? Read hearing aids for seniors.
Which hearing aid brand, and at what price?
How the 7-day hearing aid trial works
- Hearing testA full hearing test in a sound-treated booth, or a recent report.
- RecommendationWe explain your audiogram and suggest a style, level and price.
- FittingWe programme the aid and show you how to insert, clean and charge it.
- Real lifeWear it at home, at work and on calls. Note what is still hard.
- Review and decideWe fine-tune or try another model. You pay only if you keep it.
What a hearing aid can't do
It makes the pitches you miss clearer, but does not restore normal hearing.
- Not a medical treatmentIt does not treat wax, infection or eardrum problems.
- Often helps tinnitusIf ringing is your main problem, see tinnitus care.
Hearing dropped suddenly (go the same day), or the ear hurts, discharges, feels blocked or has wax. We don't treat these, and fit no aid until they are dealt with.
Aftercare after you buy
- Re-test yearlyYearly, or sooner if hearing changes, so we can reprogramme.
- Repairs, most brandsWhistling, weak or dead aids cleaned, re-tubed and reprogrammed.
Daily care
Wipe the aid each day, change the wax filter and dome regularly, and dry it during the monsoon.
Questions people ask us
Which type of hearing aid is best?
No single type is best. Most people with age-related loss start with a RIC. Severe loss, narrow ear canals, stiff hands or frequent ear infections can point to another style, and your audiogram decides.
Are invisible hearing aids good for severe hearing loss?
Usually not. CIC and IIC aids sit deep in the canal and have no room for a powerful speaker, so they suit mild to moderate loss. For severe loss, a BTE or a power RIC gives more volume with less whistling.
Which brand is better, Phonak, Signia, Oticon or Widex?
We fit Phonak, Signia, Widex, Oticon, Starkey, ReSound, and each makes good aids at every price level. We don't rank them. We pick the model for your hearing and your day, and the trial shows if it works. See how the brands compare.
How long does it take to get used to a hearing aid?
Most people settle in within a few weeks of daily wear. At first the fan, the pressure cooker and your own voice can sound sharp or hollow. Start in quiet rooms, wear it every day, and we fine-tune it at follow-up visits.
Do I need two hearing aids or is one enough?
If both ears have loss, two aids usually work better. You hear more easily in noise, can tell where a voice or horn comes from, and get less tired. If only one ear has loss, one aid may be enough. If one ear has no usable hearing, a regular aid in that ear will not help, and we discuss other options.
Try a hearing aid for 7 days
Your trial starts with a hearing test at Phase 1 or Phase 2.