Everything You Need To Know About Cochlear Implants

Hearing loss is a challenging and isolating condition for people of all ages. Hearing loss can impact one’s capacity for speech comprehension, communication and active participation in social situations.

Fortunately, recent developments have produced cochlear implants, a ground-breaking solution that can assist patients with severe to profound hearing loss who do not benefit from hearing aids in regaining hearing.

This article will cover all you need to know about cochlear implants, including how they function as well as their advantages.

What are cochlear implants?

Contrary to conventional hearing aids, which enhance sound, cochlear implants are electronic devices that bypass the damaged inner ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly. This enables the brain to process sound impulses and aids those who are profoundly deaf or hard of hearing in understanding speech and background noises.

How do they work?

An internal implant and an external speech processor make up the two primary parts of a cochlear implant system.

The internal implant is surgically positioned beneath the skin behind the ear. It has an electrode array that is placed within the inner ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. The external speech processor records sound, converts it into digital impulses, and then sends those signals through a transmitting coil to the internal implant. The electrode array then activates the auditory nerve fibres once the impulses have reached the internal implant. The brain receives these electrical signals, which it interprets as sound. Over time, the brain learns to translate these impulses into audible sounds, enabling the person to hear speech.

Who is the right candidate for cochlear implants?

People with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss who do not benefit from conventional hearing aids are often advised to get cochlear implants.

Besides this, cochlear implants can help children who have congenital (since birth) hearing loss or adults who have lost their hearing later in life are ideal candidates for an cochlear implant procedure.

Benefits of cochlear implants

• Enhanced Speech Understanding: Cochlear implants increase speech comprehension, enabling users to converse more effectively in a variety of noisy environments.
• Restoration of Auditory Input: Cochlear implants aid in the restoration of auditory input, which is essential for general health and quality of life.
• Access to Music and Environmental Sounds: Cochlear implant patients have access to music and ambient noises, which enhances their auditory experiences.
• Improved Social Interactions: Cochlear implants help people communicate more effectively and participate in social activities, which enhances social interactions and relationships.

It is crucial to remember that each individual’s experience with cochlear implants will be different. The results may vary depending on the severity and origin of the hearing loss, duration of deafness, the patient’s age at implantation, post operative rehabilitation and general health.

However, it is worth noting that many people find notable improvements in their hearing capacity and general quality of life with the help of cochlear implants.

Conclusion

Cochlear implants have completely changed how we treat severe to profound hearing loss -- providing a lifeline of sound to those who may otherwise have been cut off from the rest of the world.

Cochlear implants provide the opportunity for greater speech understanding, better social interactions, and a fuller auditory experience by avoiding damaged areas of the inner ear and directly stimulating the auditory nerve.

It is incredibly worthwhile to consider getting a cochlear implant in Singapore if you or a loved one have severe hearing loss and conventional hearing aids haven't worked well enough for you.

Get in touch with our hearing audiologist in Singapore at D&S Audiology today for more information.