Hearing aids vs cochlear implants: What are the differences?
Hearing aids Mesa Phoenix Scottsdale
For people who have hearing loss, treatment can make a huge difference in their quality of life. Being able to have conversations improves a person’s social life and relationships, and is even believed to help protect the brain from dementia. Many people also enjoy being able to do other activities again, like listening to music.
There are two main options for treating hearing loss – hearing aids and cochlear implants. What are the differences between these options? How can someone choose between them?
Hearing aids are wearable devices
A hearing aid is worn within the ear canal. It may be completely invisible inside the canal, or it may extend out of the ear or be worn behind it. The hearing aid acts to amplify sounds from the environment, making them louder and easier to hear.
Modern hearing aids can be very good at selectively amplifying the sounds that you want to hear. Rather than simply making all sounds louder, they can preferentially amplify the sounds of human voices, for example. This can be very helpful in a noisy environment, such as at a party or in a restaurant.
Hearing aids will only work for people who still have some residual hearing left. If your ear is completely unable to transmit information about sounds to the brain, then amplifying sounds will make no difference. A cochlear implant is a better option in that case. For those who have mild to moderate hearing loss, hearing aids are likely to be the better choice. For those with more severe hearing loss, hearing aids may still provide a benefit, as long as there’s still some residual hearing. Different specific types of hearing aids are better for different types and degrees of hearing loss.
One major advantage of hearing aids is that they’re removable and replaceable. As technology advances, you can easily choose to upgrade your hearing aids to take advantage of this. You can also try out different hearing aids until you find the one that will work best for you. If your hearing loss progresses, then you can switch hearing aids as necessary.
Hearing aids are also extremely customizable, with many different options available. Although the settings on a cochlear implant can also be adjusted, they don’t have as wide a variety of options as hearing aids do. This makes a hearing aid a more flexible option in general. In addition, hearing aids are the more economical choice, with a much lower cost than cochlear implants.
Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices
A cochlear implant is a device that’s intended to replace the function of the cochlea. This is the main organ of hearing, which is located in the inner ear.
The cochlear implant is placed surgically into the inner ear. There’s also an external component which is worn behind the ear. The external component detects sounds and transmits them to the internal part of the cochlear implant. This internal part converts the sounds into electrical signals, and then transmits these signals to the auditory nerve via electrodes. This nerve carries the signals to the parts of the brain that process sound.
Damage to the cochlea can be caused by many factors, including exposure to loud noises, diabetes, or head injuries. For people with this type of hearing loss, hearing aids aren’t likely to provide a benefit. This is because hearing aids amplify sounds from the environment, but without a functional cochlea, the ear can’t transmit information about those sounds to the brain. People with this type of hearing loss are good candidates for a cochlear implant.
Although cochlear implants are often placed in children who are born with hearing loss, adults can also get cochlear implants if they have certain types of hearing loss. In fact, even seniors can benefit from cochlear implants in some cases.
Rather than simply amplifying sounds, cochlear implants directly transmit information about sounds to the brain. This may provide the experience of hearing again. It’s important to note that, while the brain interprets the signals from a cochlear implant as sound, they may not be perceived in exactly the same way as natural sounds. This means that the sense of sound after a cochlear implant may be somewhat distorted or strange. It may take some training to help your brain get used to the new cochlear implant. Over time, people tend to report better and better sound quality from their cochlear implants. It generally takes about six to twelve months to fully get used to a cochlear implant, compared with just a few weeks for adjusting to a hearing aid.
In order to place a cochlear implant, a surgical procedure is needed. Although this is a relatively safe and routine surgery, some people prefer to avoid surgery altogether, in which case hearing aids would be better. In addition, the procedure will eliminate any residual hearing in the ear. If you still have some natural hearing left and you’d like to preserve this, hearing aids are a better option.
Hearing aids Mesa Phoenix Scottsdale
If you or a loved one has hearing loss, and you’re considering the options for getting your hearing back, then a good next step is a consultation with a qualified audiologist. This is a hearing health professional, who has many years of training in diagnosing and treating hearing loss. A consultation will allow you to get personalized advice on your options, what the pros and cons would be for each one, and what the audiologist recommends in your particular case.
Audiologists also offer hearing aids, and will ensure that these are properly fitted and adjusted for the best possible performance. There are many different options for hearing aids, and it can be challenging to understand the differences. An audiologist can help you to make the choice that’s right for you.
Dr. Cassandra Fynes and Roger Knighton have been helping people with hearing loss in the greater Phoenix area for many years. Please contact our office to book your appointment.
