Commonly, hearing aids have been worn by hearing impaired people to pick up on sounds better. This is still the case, but for those with severe forms of hearing loss, cochlear implants are becoming even more popular for individuals across the world. These devices differ from that of a simple hearing aid, which is worn in the ear, because they address much more severe forms of hearing loss. That device is the electric cochlear implant, with the purpose of attaching to the person’s skull. You may have thought all hearing impaired people can benefit from hearing aids but this is not entirely true. In fact, some people have such a bad hearing problem that they must resort to the use of an electric cochlear implant. This is becoming even more popular for individuals with high degrees of hearing loss because they are much more involved than a hearing aid that is simply worn in the ear and can be removed.
Benefits of Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants give the user the ability to hear better with more clarity and consistency than ever before. Though these devices can cost a lot, the high-quality advantages they offer make electric cochlear implants one of the most successful hearing devices you’ll find today. Ideal for those who suffer from a high degree of hearing loss than cannot be addressed through a simple hearing aid, these devices allow the individual to clearly pick up on sounds such as speech and surround environmental sound. This helps the user feel safe in his or her environment as they go through their daily life.
How Do Cochlear Implants Function?
Cochlear implants are needed in those for which a hearing aid can’t provide sufficient amplification. Thanks to advances in technology, the electric cochlear implant works through four components. They all work in tandem to ultimately recreate sound waves to simulate hearing. The microphone is located on the outside of the ear. It detects sounds, then passes them on to the speech processor that is near the microphone, which can also be worn in other places on the body. This is where the interpretation and digitization of sound occurs in order for it to be picked up by the transmitter. The transmitter, which gives the signals to the receiver underneath the skin, passes all of the signals to the electrodes cluster located in the cochlea. This sits behind the ear and under the skin, where electrodes fire up special fibers on the auditory nerve. The wearer is then able to experience crisp, clear sound waves for optimal enjoyment in daily life.
What Makes A Cochlear Implant?
Cochlear implants, devices made up of several different parts, have the majority of their parts located on the outside of the ear. Other pieces of the device are implanted into the skin behind the ear. The external parts of the device include are the microphone, speech processor, and a transmitter. Implanted beneath the skin include a receiver and an electrode cluster. These work in conjunction with the other parts to simulate sound for the wearer.