Hear better with Cochlear Implants

What is a cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is a type of an electronic medical device used for replacing the damaged functionality of the inner ear, allowing the patient to hear more clearly. Unlike hearing aids, that increase the volume of the sounds, Cochlear Implants act like the hair cells of the inner ear providing direct sound signals to the brain.

Who is a suitable candidate for Cochlear Implants?

A cochlear implant can help patients who:

• Are suffering from moderate or profound hearing loss in their both ears
• Don’t receive any benefit from hearing aids
• Score less than 50% on the sentence recognition test which is conducted by hearing professionals in the damaged ear that needs to cochlear implants
• Score less than 60% on the sentence recognition tests on a non-implanted ear or both ears

There are several patients who prefer to have bilateral cochlear implants in which the device is implanted in both the ears, as listening with both ears improves the patient’s ability to separate and identify the direction from where the sound is coming, allowing them to hear their desired target.

How does a cochlear implant work?

In most cases, people have a hearing defect because of damaged hair cells in their cochlea or inner ear. The cochlear implant is the perfect solution for this condition as it transfers the sound to the hearing nerve to the brain, enabling the patient to hear.

What is the process of implanting a cochlear device?

The sound processor worn on the body or behind the ear captures sound, turning it into a type of digital code. A battery power system operates the sound processor.

The sound processor after capturing the sound transmits the digital sound code through the coil to the head and to the implant device.

The cochlear implant converts this code into electrical impulses, sending them along the array of electrodes placed inside the cochlea (inner ear).

The implant's electrodes stimulate the hearing nerves of the cochlea, sending its impulses to the brain, where these signals are decoded and interpreted as sound.

Are cochlear implants really effective?

Many patients with cochlear implants have reported that they:

• Have better hearing ability with a cochlear implant compared to a hearing aid
• Can focus better on specific sounds when present in noisy environments
• Were able to interact with people sitting across meeting tables, crowded places or in restaurants.
• Were able to hear missed sounds that they couldn’t hear before a cochlear implant.
• Had a sense of safety in the world as they are able to hear alarms, approaching vehicles and people calling out after a cochlear implant.
• Were able to hear conversations on the phone more clearly.
• Were able to enjoy music, identifying and separating each beat and instrument.

A previous study on the subject showed that people achieve more than 80 percent sentence understanding after cochlear implants, compared to just 10 percent with hearing aids.

What factors can affect these benefits?

The benefits experienced by cochlear ear implants often show different results on different patients. These differences might be caused due to:

• the duration patient had been suffering from hearing loss before getting a cochlear implant
• the severity of their hearing loss
• the condition of the inner ear (cochlea)
• the presence of any other medical condition
• how much practice have they included in life while using the cochlear implant system?

Disclaimer

Patients are recommended to seek advice from their medical practitioner or healthcare provider regarding the treatment options available for the hearing loss. They will advise a suitable solution to the patient to treat their lost hearing abilities. All the products should be utilized following the directions given by the medical professional.

My name is Hemant Kumar, I am Health Specialist interested by health of the human body. Now i am writing on Cochlear Implant Surgery.