Hearing Doctors Respond to Queen's New Hearing Aid

Queen Elizabeth II was spotted wearing a hearing aid—for the first time ever—earlier today. A photo, taken while the Queen was on her way to church service, clearly shows a red and beige “completely-in-canal” (or CIC) hearing aid sitting loosely in her right ear.

The Queen’s hearing loss

While little is known about the nature of the Queen’s hearing loss, completely-in-canal hearing aids are typically used to treat milder forms of hearing loss. At 93, it’s likely that the Queen is suffering from age-related hearing loss, which typically affects both ears, but at this stage, we’re not sure if she’s wearing a hearing aid in the left ear too.

Hearing Doctors Respond

Within a matter of hours, the photo began to circulate in an online forum for hearing doctors (Doctors of Audiology). It didn’t take long for the community of audiologists to determine that the Queen is very likely wearing a quick-fit non-custom Signia Silk hearing aid.

While this type of hearing aid can be extremely comfortable and convenient, inserting a CIC hearing aid to achieve a snug and secure fit may require practice. One audiologist commented:

The royal audiologist should have taught her proper insertion technique!! 😉

Referring to the her husband Prince Philip's hearing aid history, and the importance of bringing a family member to your hearing aid appointments, another audiologist commented:

Prince Philip needs to attend her appointments with her so he can help her practice her insertion technique back at the Palace.

Another audiologist was clearly bewildered as to why the Queen would wear a non-custom product in the first place:

Sorry but why would the queen opt for a non custom (silk) CIC when she could afford a custom CIC?

It appears she'll need a little more practice on inserting her new hearing aid to achieve the desired level of discretion … or perhaps the answer is to have a custom-fitted hearing aid—literally fit for a Queen—provided by the “royal audiologist.”