What is the distinction between a Hearing Aid and a Cochlear Implant?

How do cochlear implants and hearing aids differ? Cochlear implants and hearing aids are both technologies that are used to help individuals with hearing loss, but the devices work differently and are meant for different types of hearing loss. Knowing how to tell the two apart could not only save you valuable time and money, but mean the difference between alleviating symptoms and exacerbating them.

Functionality and Mechanism

Hearing Aids: Hearing Aids are not implanted devices, but are, rather, external devices that are fitted and programmed to amplify sounds. They do this by picking up sound with a microphone, and then amplifying or making it louder, before directing that amplified sound into the ear canal where it is then processed by the inner ear. Hearing aids Hearing aids assist individuals with hearing loss caused by damage to the ear’s hair cells (sensory cells). They work especially well for those with mild to moderate hearing loss since they only help to boost sound and not to restore hearing.

Cochlear Implants, however, are invasive implanted systems that will stimulate the auditory nerve directly and do not normally use the parts of the inner ear that are damaged or are not operational. A cochlear implant consists of two primary components: an external microphone and processor that collects sound, and an internal receiver that is surgically implanted beneath the skin that transmits signals to an electrode array that is inserted into the cochlea (the inner ear). Cochlear implants can help people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss who have nearly given up with hearing aids.

Candidates for Use

What is the distinction between a Hearing Aid and a Cochlear Implant?

Hearing aids are appropriate for those who have some residual hearing, or who are able to pick up sounds but require amplification to hear them more clearly. They are usually prescribed for those who have mild or moderate hearing loss since the hair cells of the cochlea are damaged, but still capable of processing amplified sound.

Cochlear implants, on the other hand, are typically considered for people with severe to profound hearing loss who receive next to no benefit from hearing aids in both ears. In general, individuals are best suited for cochlear implants if they have little or no hair cell function in the cochlea, so the brain cannot receive sound signals through conventional hearing aid amplification.

Invasiveness and Operative Technique

One of the main distinctions between the 2 devices is the invasiveness. Non-invasive – hearing aids are discreet and are worn either behind the ear or inside the ear canal. No Surgery & Audiologist Fitted. The settings can be changed by the users, including volume and frequency as per their comfort and requirement.

Cochlear implants, in contrast, must be surgically implanted in the internal components. The method includes introducing an electrode array into the cochlea and a receiver beneath the skin. The operation is relatively safe, but is invasive and requires recovery time. Following the operation, the implant is turned on and adjusted during a series of appointments to get the settings just right for the best results.

Sound Quality and Outcome

Hearing aids function to make sound louder and are more or less effective depending on the degree of hearing loss and the health of the ear’s auditory system. Hearing aids can significantly improve the clarity of sound for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. However, the gain of hearing aids themselves may be insufficient for persons with profound hearing loss to obtain effective audiologic benefit.

Cochlear implants bypass the damaged cochlear hair cells of the inner ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve (which indicates a different type of hearing). Cochlear implants do not provide normal levels of hearing, but they give children with significant deafness the ability to detect sounds and understand speech. It is “less natural” sounding than hearing, but with experience, cochlear implanted people become quite good at recognizing speech and perceiving sounds.

Maintenance and Adjustments

What is the distinction between a Hearing Aid and a Cochlear Implant?

Hearing aids often must be maintained through battery replacement, cleaning, and adjusting the amplification in the device. They also often have additional features, such as the ability to connect to Bluetooth technology, or to be adjusted remotely by an audiologist.

Despite being hardware-based maintenance-light (since it requires no internal mechanical or electrical parts), cochlear-implanted users still need regular programming and follow-up visits to make certain their cortical stimulator is providing the best auditory input. The external part of the implant (the microphone, the processor, and the processor coil) on the other hand, may wear out or require replacement from time to time, whereas the internal part is typically made to last for many years before replacement.

Conclusion

To sum up – two distinct types of hearing devices, intended for different kind of people with different kinds or degrees of hearing loss. For people who have from slight to moderate hearing loss, hearing aids are appropriate because they simply increase the sound to your other ear. Cochlear implants, meanwhile, are an option for people with severe to profound hearing loss, since they sidestep the problem areas and stimulate the auditory nerve directly. Hearing aids are non-invasive and customizable according to the patient’s hearing profile, while cochlear implants are surgically invasive and require post-operative rehabilitation, but can be largely effective for people that are no longer benefiting from conventional hearing aids. Both hearing aids are equally capable of changing the lives of people with hearing loss and the decision will depend on the degree and type of hearing loss you have.