The size of your ear canals may not be something you consider until you require hearing aids. If the opening of your ear is small or narrow, you will need to be fitted by an audiologist.

A fitting ensures optimal comfort, function, and sound. Hearing aids for small ear canals utilize comfort-fit accessories or custom ear molds for irritation-free all-day wear. 

Why Hearing Aids Must Be Fitted if Your Ear Canals Are Small?

The top reasons for custom hearing device fittings include: 

• Comfort: If your hearing aids are too hard, too tight, too large, or ill-fitting in any way it can cause pain and irritation.
• Sound clarity: Without a proper fit, you may experience increased feedback, whistling, and other acoustic problems. 
• Different canal sizes: Size and shape vary from your left ear to your right ear and only one canal may be narrow. 
• Drop risk: Custom hearing protection drastically increases the likelihood of your hearing aids staying in your ear, minimizing drop and loss risk. 
• Ear wax management: Naturally smaller canals increase your risk for earwax build up and hearing aids increase the risk of impacted wax. As such, your fitting may include the use of a wax guard to minimize wax and preserve the integrity of your technology.

Not Sure If Your Ear Canals Are Small? 

If you prefer to wear over-ear headphones  when listening to mobile entertainment because earbuds are significantly less comfortable, you may have narrow canals (aka. ear canal stenosis). Small canals are also something your audiologist (or physician) will alert you to.

What Is Ear Canal Stenosis?

Ear canal stenosis is the medical term for narrow ear canals. You can be born with this form of stenosis, or it can form later in life. Ear canal stenosis may be present in one or both ears and can increase your risk for hearing loss. Most with stenosis and hearing loss require custom hearing aids for narrow ear canals. 

Children born with narrow canals typically have full auditory nerve function. However, the ear and eardrum may not fully form, which can lead to decreased hearing. Their hearing may be clinically “normal”, but sounds may be processed at slightly higher frequencies. 

When stenosis forms as a teen or adult, it is often due to a cholesteatoma behind the eardrum. Cholesteatoma is a growth that forms due to eardrum retraction that causes dead skin cells to gather in a cyst-like lump. As it grows it can damage surrounding tissues and nerves and interfere with auditory processing. 

How Is Ear Canal Stenosis Treated?

Ear canal stenosis causes an increased risk for ear wax. As a result, you may require prescription ear drops and regular ear wax removal. You may also require frequent exams by an audiologist and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. If accompanied by hearing loss, you will also require hearing aids for small ear canals.  

How Is Cholesteatoma Treated?

Surgery may be required to remove the growth to minimize the risk of auditory damage. If damage is present, you may only experience hearing loss in one ear, so only one hearing aid is required.  

Modern Hearing Technology 

The ability to custom-fit your hearing devices has never been better. Your audiologist will complete a comprehensive hearing evaluation to determine the severity of your hearing loss. They will advise if you require analog or digital hearing aids.

Analog Hearing Aids

Analog hearing aids amplify sound waves, essentially “turning up” the volume of surrounding sounds. This is the older generation of technology, so most have limited background noise reduction capabilities. When it is windy outside, they transmit a whooshing wind sound. These models are likely to screech with feedback when adjusting the volume. Most analog options do not have rechargeable batteries. 

Digital Hearing Aids

Digital hearing aids are the gold standard in audiology technology. Beyond volume control, they filter sound in a variety of programable environments, filter wind, have directional microphones to sense where sound is coming from, and have features that improve the clarity of sound. Most are Bluetooth-enabled and managed through a smartphone app. Feedback is minimal and can often be detected and canceled before the screech reaches your ear. Many models have rechargeable batteries. 

Top Hearing Aids for Narrow Ear Canals

Not all types of hearing aids are ideal for narrow ear canals. A common misconception is that invisible in-the-canal (ITC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the top option. While designed to be discreet, these models are often too hard and tight to be comfortable. 

You are more likely to require BTE, RIC, or RITE hearing aids with domes or custom ear molds. 

• Behind-the-ear (BTE): These models have a custom-fit ear mold that sits comfortably in your ear canal. The technology resides in a compact shell that rests behind your ears, connecting to the ear mold via a tiny tube. 
• Receiver-in-canal (RIC) and receiver-in-the-ear (RITE): These models have a tiny wire that connects the amplifier speaker or digital receiver in your inner ear to the shell that rests behind your ears. The inner ear speaker or receiver can be custom-fit with an ear mold or hearing aid domes. Domes are soft and flexible ear tips that adjust to the contours of your inner ear. 

Do Your Hearing Aids Hurt? 

There is no need for pain! If you live in or around Staten Island, NY or Holmdel, NJ and your hearing aids hurt—schedule an appointment with Dr. Stella Fulman. Dr. Fulman specializes in custom-fitting hearing aids for small ear canals and can improve comfort and function for all hearing devices.