Hearing loss is among the most common chronic physical conditions affecting people worldwide. About 2 to 3 out of every 1000 children in the United States are born with a permanent hearing loss and over 37 million adults have trouble hearing. Hearing aids cannot restore normal hearing, but can improve your ease of hearing by amplifying sounds that you have had problems in hearing.
However, for people diagnosed with severe hearing loss, hearing aids will not be beneficial. For them, cochlear implants can be a good option.
What is a cochlear implant?
A cochlear implant is a small implantable electronic device that helps to provide a useful hearing sensation to a person with severe to profound deafness. These Implants are very different from normal hearing aids that just amplify sound. Cochlear Implants bypass the damaged portion of the ear and electrically stimulate the auditory nerve directly, which sends signals to the brain.
These implants have an external part that sits right behind the ear and an internal part that is surgically placed under the skin. The external portion consists of a microphone, sound processor and transmitter system. The implanted receiver and the electrode system are placed internally.
Cochlear implants are useful for both adults and children. But like most other medical devices, it has its pros and cons.
Pros of Cochlear Implant
Cochlear Implant is a boon to people with moderate or severe hearing loss. It has several benefits but not everyone performs the same with this device.
- Improve Hearing Ability: Cochlear Implants provide the ability to hear and detect the presence of sound. Though it is not capable of restoring normal hearing. It can just improve hearing and provide a sense of sound.
- Immediate effect on Adults: After a few sessions of significant therapy adults can experience the sense of hearing. Children need elaborate training after implantation to experience and improve their hearing.
- Understanding Speech: Cochlear Implants can help patients understand speech. If not that, they can lip-read, take phone calls, and even watch movies without captions and enjoy music.
However, not all people with cochlear implants can experience these benefits.
Cons of Cochlear Implants
Surgical Implantation of the device is generally considered safe but is associated with several complications and risk factors.
- Cochlear Implant increases the risk of Meningitis. People with abnormally formed inner structures are more vulnerable to this rare but serious condition.
- Cerebrospinal fluid leakage can be another complication of the surgery. Fluids from the brain can leak through a hole in the inner ear or from elsewhere covering the brain, because of the surgical procedure.
- Balance loss is very common in patients with cochlear implants.
- Facial paralysis or injury to the facial nerves. The nerve goes through the middle ear where the inner part of the device is implanted. Any injury to the nerve can cause temporary or permanent paralysis of the face on that side.
- Bleeding at the site of surgery.
- Loss of taste sensation.
- Tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing sound can be persistent in the ear.
- Infection, numbness, and other consequences can also be seen.
With Cochlear Implants, patients may not be able to hear at all. Moreover, if the device doesn’t work well or needs to be fixed, additional surgery is required to resolve the problem.
Conclusion
Cochlear Implants directly stimulate the auditory nerve with electric currents. The process of implementation involves both surgery and therapy for effective outcomes. This can be an expensive treatment. Repairing or replacing the device can add further expenses. Although Cochlear Implants are considered safe, the long term effects of the device are many and yet to be discovered.
