Saturday, July 31, 2010

Cochlear Implants When Hearing Aids Are Not Enough

Hearings aids are miniature electronic devices that amplify sound. This allows those with moderate to serious hearing loss to regain much of their hearing ability. The human ear contains approximately 15,000 hair cells whose vibrations sends impulses to the brain and allows us to hear. When these hair cells become damaged through exposure to loud noises, hereditary influences or disease hearing loss occurs.

If the hearing loss is moderate or even in some cases severe hearing aids through their ability to amplify sounds can allow those persons to regain some hearing. It is important to understand that at the present no device replaces hearing. Hearing aids only amplify sound.

Unfortunately for many adults and small children who have lost or are born with severe hearing defects or deafness hearing aids are of no help to their condition. However for some of these individuals there is another device which offers some hope. This device known as a Cochlear Implant began to be used in the 1970s. Although the system has been in use for over 30 years and has aided many thousands of hearing impaired individuals it is still considered by many to be new technology.

Hearings aids as everyone understands are simply placed in the ear. They are easily removed for cleaning, battery changes and other maintenance. Cochlear devices on the other hand as the name implies are composed of two parts the first of which is actually surgically implanted behind the ear into the skull. A second portion, the sound processor is worn externally behind the ear. The device actually bypasses the damaged portions of the ear and through direct stimulation of the auditory nerve allows the patient to hear sounds.

An important distinction should be noted between these devices and hearing aids. Hearing aids as previously mentioned simply amplify sounds such as voice for the user. The sounds heard through this implanted device is not identified by the brain the same way as normal hearing would be and so the patient must learn to identify these new sounds. Usually after the surgery is performed there is a period of therapy needed where therapists will help the patient to learn to interpret these sounds as speech.

These devices have helped many thousands of deaf and severely hearing impaired persons to regain some of their lost hearing. They are implanted in children as young as two years of age and adults. These cochlear implants will not help in all cases. Another problem is the high cost of implantation which may not be covered by some insurance companies. However this technology is just the beginning of what can be accomplished to help those who suffer from severe hearing loss and could lead to the development of devices to restore other senses such as sight.

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