e. However, if you notice no responses or appropriate behavior according to the signs listed above, you should get a professional opinion.
Cochlear implants are a treatment for hearing impairment that has helped many people hear better or perceive sound better. It is one of the medical advancements that have changed many lives since 1980. Researchers and scientists are always working on making it better and safer, but for now, these implants are the best option for both children and adults with severe hearing impairment.
How Does It Work?
A cochlear implant is a device that is implanted under the skin behind your hear through an operation. It also has an outside part that is placed behind your ear. Together, these two parts work to improve hearing for people with sensorineural hearing loss. This means that their hearing is impaired due to damage to the cochlea inside the ear. This damage is not reversible. So, what the cochlear implant does is it skips those damaged parts and goes straight to the auditory nerve.
When the outside part picks up on sounds, it sends it as electrical impulses through the device to the auditory nerve and makes you recognize sounds.
Why Get a Cochlear Implant?
There are many advantages of getting a cochlear implant if you suffering from severe hearing impairment. A hearing aid is often not sufficient when the damage is too severe. Implants have many advantages:
- You can hear and understand speech again without needing to lip read.
- Everyday things like watching television and talking on the phone become easier.
- Listening to music is easier.
- The device enables you to hear soft, medium, and loud noises.
Who Can Get One?
Any person who feels that their hearing impairment can be improved by a cochlear implant. Children from 1 year of age can get implants. It is a crucial time for language and speech development in children. Adults of any age can also get an implant.
It is important that you discuss your option for a cochlear implant with the right doctors and therapists. They will explain the risks and take into account your age, severity of impairment, health condition, and other factors. The operation for a cochlear implant is mostly safe, but you should consult professionals before you make a decision.
Cochlear implants may not be the best option for everyone. As with all things, your health and personal preference will play a role. These procedures can be expensive and if your medical aid doesn’t cover it, you may not be able to make use of this option. A cochlear implant can be the answer to your prayers, but you should always do your homework and discuss it with your doctor before making final decisions.
For more information on cochlear implants, visit the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
Hearing is one of our five natural senses that aid us in experiencing and understanding the world around us. The process of hearing is quite fascinating and intricate if you look at the structures involved with making us hear sounds. In this article, we will focus on the structures of the ear that make us hear sounds as well as the process of hearing. When you understand the basic biology and functioning, it is easier to understand hearing impairment.
The Structures Involved with Hearing
When we think about our ear and how we hear most of us probably just envision the outer shell-shape part of our ear. However, this is just one part of it. Our ear actually consists of three parts.
The Outer Ear – The outer ear is the part we always think of. It is the shell-shaped part that is also called the pinna. The ear canal also forms part of the outer ear and it ends at the eardrum. If you were to use an earbud to clear wax from your ear, you will be placing the bud into the ear canal. This should also be done very carefully to avoid causing damage.
The Middle Ear – You often hear of children who have middle-ear infection. That means that they have an infection in the actual middle part of the ear. This part of the ear is host to the three smallest bones in the body and t