What you need to know about cochlear implants

When hair cells in the inner ear or cochlea are severely damaged, people will suffer hearing loss. Hair cells are damaged for many reasons, such as exposure to loud sounds or noise, head trauma, and viruses or diseases. If not treated in time, it will cause hearing loss.

Today, cochlear implants have become a popular solution for hearing impaired people. This implant can deliver sound to the patient's auditory nerve and let him or her hear it again.

What is a cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that performs the function of the inner ear. It provides a sense of sound for people who are generally deaf or have serious hearing problems. The implant consists of two parts: an outer part located behind the ear and an inner part that is surgically implanted under the skin. Hearing aids work by making the sound louder, and the implant replaces the function of the damaged portion of the inner ear to send a sound signal to the brain. The implant device consists of different parts, including a microphone, voice processor, transmitter and electrode array.

How does it work?

Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound, damaged ears can detect them, and cochlear implants work differently. They directly stimulate the auditory nerve and send signals to the brain, which recognizes the signal as sound. Basically, the implant will complete the work of the damaged cochlea - sending a signal to the brain. Hearing through cochlear implants is different from normal hearing. It usually takes time to learn its function, so patience is very important for re-learning the hearing of the device.

Who can get the implant?

Cochlear implants are ideal for adults and children with hearing loss or any of the following:

• One ear has full hearing loss, but the other ear has normal hearing
• Little or no benefit from hearing aids
• Moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears or complete deafness
• Scored less than 65% in a sentence recognition test conducted by a hearing professional

Some people have a cochlear implant in both ears and the other ear is implanted in the human ear. Obviously, listening with both ears can improve the ability to detect the direction of the sound and separate the sound you want to hear from the sound you don't want to hear.

What are the benefits of implants?

It allows the patient to hear it again, so it is a great help for anyone with any hearing impairment. Here are some of the benefits of implanting a cochlear implant:

• Help patients better focus in noisy environments
• Reconnect the missed sound that the patient could not hear before implanting the cochlear implant
• Talk and hear by phone
• Hear better than a hearing aid
• It feels safer indoors and outdoors because patients can hear alarms, people call and approach vehicles
• Allow patients to talk to other people at tables, parks, streets, restaurants and other crowded places
• like to listen to music

Cochlear implants are suitable for adults and children with hearing loss.

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