Answers by Casandra C. Wahl, Au.D., CCC-A at St. Cloud ENT
Cochlear implants vs. hearing aids...
What is the difference?
People can develop hearing loss for many reasons, including age, genetics, medications, infections, accidents, etc. Regardless of the cause, hearing loss can significantly impact our day-to-day lives. It can affect how we communicate with loved ones, cause substantial difficulties with understanding speech in background noise and make talking on the phone more challenging.
For some, properly fit hearing aids are an excellent tool for overcoming difficulties caused by hearing loss. However, for people with significant hearing loss, properly fit hearing aids may no longer be effective in improving communication. If this is the case, a cochlear implant is the next step.
A cochlear implant functions very differently from a hearing aid. It has two components: an internal electrode and an external sound processor. The external sound processor contains microphones that pick up sounds around us, and it transmits this signal to the internal electrode through a magnetic connection. The internal electrode is a surgically-implanted device that takes this information and turns it into an electrical signal that the brain interprets as sound.
Cochlear implants are not a quick fix for improving communication. Because cochlear implants use an electrical signal to stimulate the ear, the brain needs to learn how to hear with this new signal. This electrical signal can make speech sound robotic and make noises sound like buzzing, beeping or static. Once someone is wearing a cochlear implant, it is their job to work on different rehabilitation exercises to help the brain interpret these new sounds as speech. These activities can include reading out loud, watching TV with the captions or using various phone applications that test the ability to understand words. This rehabilitation process can take six months to a year and is a crucial component in being successful with a cochlear implant.
A cochlear implant is not a solution for everyone. Certain criteria must be met to be a candidate for a cochlear implant. First, hearing loss needs to be in the severe to profound hearing loss range. Second, properly fit hearing aids are still not enough to help with communication. To determine the effectiveness of hearing aids, patients wear properly fit hearing aids and go through a series of tests that involve repeating back words and sentences in quiet and in background noise. If scores on the evaluation fall within the candidacy range, the patient may benefit from a cochlear implant.
We can help
If you are interested in learning more about cochlear implants, please call our office at 320-257-1154 and schedule an appointment with one of our cochlear implant audiologists.
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