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Can Cochlear Implants Help With Conductive Hearing Loss

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What Are Cochlear Implants

Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants, Which is the Best Solution for Hearing Loss?

Cochlear implants are for people with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. They bypass damaged hearing hair cells in your cochlea and restore transmission of sound to the auditory nerve. When the hearing cells in the inner ear die and cause sensorineural hearing loss, a cochlear implant can process external sound, bypass the damaged hearing cells, and deliver it to the auditory nerve and brain.

Bone Conduction Implants Baha And Bonebridge

What is a Bone Conduction Implant: BAHA and Bonebridge?

In bone conduction implants, such as the Bone Anchored hearing Aid and Bonebridge implants, external sounds are converted into mechanical vibrations which are sent to the inner ear through the bone.

How a BAHA Implant works

  • A titanium device is implanted behind the ear where it integrates with the bone
  • The sound processor attached to the head detects the sounds and coverts them into vibrations
  • An abutment connects the sound processor to the titanium implant
  • The implant then transfers the sounds directly to the cochlear
  • An alternative version using magnetic attachment across skin is also now available and can be discussed with your audiologist

How a Bonebridge Implant works

  • A compact and discreet external processor magnetically attached to the scalp collects sound
  • The energy to drive the implant is transferred via an inductive link to the internal coil
  • The signal is processed by a demodulator and relayed to the bone conduction device
  • The device then sends mechanical vibrations via screws to the bone and on to the cochlear

Who is suitable for a bone conduction implant?

Patients with the following health conditions may be assessed for a BAHA or Bonebridge implant.

What is the difference between a Cochlear Implant and a Bone Conduction Implant?

Bone induction implants can also be fitted for single-sided deafness, provided that ear has had hearing in the past.

What is the process for the candidacy assessment?

What Happens During The Procedure

When you have a cochlear implant fitted, you or your child will have a general anaesthetic. The surgeon will make a small cut behind the ear before inserting the implant. The doctor will then thread the electrical array into the snail-like spiral of the cochlea. This takes 2 to 3 hours.

You or your child will probably need to stay in hospital overnight.

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Cochlear Implant Failure Rates

Implants experience two main types of failure, one relatively common and the other extremely rare.

Failures to external components are relatively common. Wires from the processor to the headpiece can fail, as can the tiny microphones in the implant processor. A breakdown of the external processor itself is less frequent. But when it does fail, it can be replaced quickly and very often under the manufacturers warranty.

Can You Recover From Conductive Hearing Loss

MED

Conductive hearing loss is it nding loss curable? It is true, often. It is important to seek immediate medical assistance when you develop conductive hearing loss, since most cases are temporary and can be cured by appropriate medical treatment. Hearing aids and implants can also be used to treat other types of conductive hearing loss.

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What Types Of Bone

There are several types of bone-anchored auditory implants. They usually consist of a small implant placed behind the ear and a sound processor attached to the implant. Together, they send sound as a vibration to the inner ear and hearing nerve.

In some implants, the sound processor attaches to a small titanium post that comes through the skin. In others, a magnet holds the sound processor in place and the implant is not visible.

For children younger than 5 years old, or for those who may not prefer a surgical option, some sound processors can be held in place with an elastic band or strong adhesive sticker. Your hearing healthcare team will discuss these options with you.

How Are They Different

One of the largest differences between hearing aids and cochlear implants is that individuals can easily take off their hearing aids, whereas cochlear implants are permanently attached. Most individuals will undergo outpatient surgery to have a cochlear implant. However, children and those with underlying health conditions need inpatient surgery.

Hearing aids are more suitable for those with mild-to-severe hearing loss, whereas cochlear implants are more suited for those with profound hearing loss. While hearing aids amplify sounds, cochlear implants provide a sense of sound. An audiologist can recommend which device is more suitable depending on an individuals type of hearing loss.

Cochlear implants

organization also states that public health insurance providers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Association and over 90% of commercial health insurance companies cover cochlear implants.

However, not all health insurance plans cover the costs of hearing aids. Medicaid covers hearing aids for children and young adults under 21 years of age . However, adults over 21 years should check with their insurance provider before purchasing.

Cochlear implants are not available to purchase online. Individuals can make an appointment with an audiologist or otolaryngologist to determine whether they are eligible for these devices.

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How Could The Osia System Help

The Osia System uses your natural ability to conduct sound through bone vibrations. With bone conduction, sound bypasses the damaged outer or middle ear and sends clearer, more crisp sound directly to your inner ear.1

Unlike a hearing aid, which tries to push sound through the damaged part of your ear , the Osia System bypasses your middle ear problems and sends sound straight to your functioning inner ear .

What Are The Symptoms Of Cochlear Damage

How a Cochlear Implant Can Help you Treat Your Hearing Loss

Hearing loss resulting from damage to the outer ear or middle ear blocks sound vibrations from reaching the inner ear, or cochlea, as well as the outer ear. Hearing loss like this can cause ears to feel plugged and speech to sound muffled, especially if there is a lot of background noise in the background.

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What Can I Do If My Child Has Hearing Loss

Cochlear offers a range of hearing solutions that have helped children around the world for almost 40 years. We can provide information for you to use right now. And, when youre ready, we can put you in touch with other parents who have been in your place.

If your child has moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears, and hearing aids are not providing enough benefit, then cochlear implants may help.

Degrees Of Hearing Loss

Understanding your degree of hearing loss is integral to identifying the right treatment. For example, hearing aids may be a good solution for someone with mild to moderate hearing loss, while hearing implants may be a good solution for someone with moderate to profound hearing loss.

Take a look at the illustrative audiogram below. You will see where sounds fall in loudness and frequency scales to help you understand what you may or may not be able to hear.

Make an appointment with a hearing health professional that is trained in advanced hearing treatment options, including hearing implants, to discuss possible solutions.

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Risks Of Cochlear Implants

While cochlear implantation has extremely high rates of success, as with any surgery there are potential complications. Theres the potential for infection, and theres a slim possibility that the body will reject the implant, or that poor placement of the electrode in the cochlea might impact performance. There are also facial nerves and blood vessels that need to be avoided. However, the surgery has become routine enough to be done on an outpatient basis, and outcomes have consistently improved over the years.

How Well Do Cochlear Implants Perform

Middle ear implants

Every year, performance improves. Better surgical techniques result in improved placement of the implant to deliver better sound through the cochlea. The implants themselves have improved, with smaller and more efficient electrodes. And sound processor technology constantly improves, especially with new smartphone connectivity options.

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Pe Tubes Help Children With Ear Infections

This treatment isideal for children who experience frequent middle ear infections caused by abuildup of fluid.

Small tubes, known as pressure equalization tubes are placed through the eardrum to allow air into the middle ear. Short-term tubes will fall out on their own within six to eighteen months long-terms tubes stay in place longer and require an expert to remove them.

While PE tubes aremost commonly recommended for toddlers and young children, they may also beused by adults to treat problems associated with malformations of the eardrumor Eustachian tube as well as those with a cleft palate.

Life With Cochlear Implants

Life with implants is similar to life with hearing aids. They must be kept clean and dry. You need to take special steps to secure them when exercising, or if at work you must move around or sweat a lot. Swimming is possible, but only with special waterproof accessories. And the batteries need regular recharging. Here are some tips on living with cochlear implants.

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Cochlears Lend An Ear Program

Theres no time to waste when it comes to maximizing hearing during the critical period of language development in children. Cochlears Lend an Ear programwas created for children 12 and under who need early access to sound through a bone conduction solution. This unique program provides a Baha 6 Max Sound Processor while the insurance approval process is taking place. Reach out to your local Cochlear representative for more information about the Lend an Ear program.

What Can I Expect From A Bone Conduction Hearing Device

Cochlear Impant for Deaf or Hearing Loss Patients |

A bone conduction hearing device offers amplification without an ear mould in the ear. This makes them more comfortable if you experience discomfort or infections in your ear. Some people also report that they have a more natural sound than conventional hearing aids for the same reason. They do not restore your hearing to normal, but can make managing in everyday situations easier.

A bone conduction hearing device is compatible with hearing loop systems. You can select to pick up sound through the microphone, through the loop, or through a combination of both microphone and loop. This means you can take advantage of assistive listening devices, neckloops or switching to T in places displaying the T symbol. The bone conduction hearing device processor may have the telecoil feature integrated within it. Otherwise a telecoil accessory can be plugged into the processor when needed.

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Clinical Need And Target Population

Single-Sided Deafness

Single-sided deafness in children has a substantial negative impact on the developing auditory system and on spoken language development.16 Children with single-sided deafness are at higher risk of delayed speech-language development , poor academic performance, behavioural problems, and decreased quality of life than their normal-hearing peers.1720 These learning and psychosocial deficits are likely largely a result of impaired binaural hearing children with single-sided deafness hear only about one-third of speech around them.21

In early childhood, single-sided deafness can lead to aural preference syndrome. This occurs when the developing auditory pathway reorganizes to prefer the hearing ear, leaving the deafened ear weakly represented in the auditory system.16 The resulting asymmetry makes it difficult for children to process cues about the timing and level of sounds, cues that would help them localize sound and perceive speech in noisy environments.16 Early restoration of hearing symmetry by ensuring both ears receive effective stimulation during a sensitive period of auditory development could secure the function of the deafened ear and restore binaural hearing.22

Conductive Hearing Loss and Mixed Hearing Loss

A Stapedectomy Treats Otosclerosis

This procedure is used to treat otosclerosis, a condition that causes the bones and tissue of the middle ear to harden, causing the stapes bone to become stuck in place. The bone is unable to vibrate and send sound through the ear, resulting in hearing loss.

A stapedectomy implants aprosthetic device designed to bypass the bones in the middle ear.

In order to determine if surgery is right for you, your audiologist will need to determine your type and degree of hearing loss. Contact the experts at ENT of Athens to get started today.

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How Does Someone Receive A Cochlear Implant

Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. Not everyone performs at the same level with this device. The decision to receive an implant should involve discussions with medical specialists, including an experienced cochlear-implant surgeon. The process can be expensive. For example, a persons health insurance may cover the expense, but not always. Some individuals may choose not to have a cochlear implant for a variety of personal reasons. Surgical implantations are almost always safe, although complications are a risk factor, just as with any kind of surgery. An additional consideration is learning to interpret the sounds created by an implant. This process takes time and practice. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are frequently involved in this learning process. Prior to implantation, all of these factors need to be considered.

Hope For Children With Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss

With the right solution, children with hearing loss are able to enjoy a life full of sounds, speech, laughter and music. Even children born profoundly deaf may be able to confidently learn at a mainstream school, engage in all kinds of activities, dance along to their favorite songs and hear you say, I love you.

Exploring the options for your child is the first step to achieving their best possible outcome. Be confident that you will make the best decision, because no one loves your child like you do.

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What Is The Difference Between Hearing Aids And Cochlear Implants

Contributed by Debbie Clason, staff writer, Healthy HearingLast updated July 29, 20192019-07-29T00:00:00-05:00

Hearing aids are the instrument of choice for the majority of people with hearing loss, but for those who are deaf or severely hard of hearing, cochlear implants may be a better option.

Both hearing aids and cochlear implants work best for people diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, meaning they have damage to the hair cells in the inner ear and/or the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss in the United States.

How Do Cochlear Implants Help Sensorineural Hearing Loss

A person with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss is eligible for cochlear implantation if they are at least 25 years old. By bypassing the normal sound conduction mechanism through the external, middle, and inner ears, a cochlear implant directly stimulates the auditory nerve. It is not possible to restore or create normal hearing with an implant.

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Health Technology Under Review

This health technology assessment reviewed hearing loss treatment devices that are surgically inserted: cochlear implants and bone-conduction implants. We did not review nonsurgical options for the use of hearing devices, including CROS hearing aids, conventional hearing aids, and bone-conduction hearing aids.

Cochlear implants can be used to treat single-sided deafness. Bone-conduction implants can also be used to treat single-sided deafness and conductive or mixed hearing loss.

Cochlear Implants

The cochlea is a part of the inner ear composed of sensory cells that convert vibrations into neural messages, which are then passed to the auditory nerve and brain and perceived as sound. A cochlear implant bypasses the inner ear to stimulate the auditory nerve with electrical pulses. This is intended to stimulate the afferent auditory pathways and generate sound perception. The device is designed for people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss as a result of damage to the cochlea and/or its communication with the primary auditory nerve. People with this type of hearing loss typically still have enough primary auditory neurons to be stimulated by the electrical pulses. More central parts of the afferent auditory pathway, including the auditory cortex, can process the electrical input, translating it into detectible sound. In this way, cochlear implant users can learn to recognize speech, environmental sounds, noise, and music.

Bone-Conduction Implants

Who Is A Candidate

Cochlear Implants for Single Sided Deafness & Asymmetrical Hearing Loss | FDA Approval

Cochlear implants address one of the most common causes of deafness, sensorineural hearing loss. Thats when the cilia in your cochlea stop functioning properly. The cilia, or hearing hair cells, function as the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the auditory nerve. The implant bypasses the damaged cilia and transmits sounds to the auditory nerve and the brain.

But they will not work for everyone. An otolaryngologist, or ear-nose-and-throat surgeon, needs to evaluate you to discover the nature and extent of your hearing loss and your general fitness for surgery. If you do qualify, you will most likely only have to undergo the implant surgery once for each ear. The internal implants are designed to last as long as you live.

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What Happens During Surgery

During an outpatient surgical procedure, an ear-nose-throat doctor or other surgical specialist places a small titanium implant into the mastoid bone behind the ear. The implant may have a small abutment that sticks out through the skin for attaching the external part of the device. Over time, the titanium implant integrates with the bone. The removable microphone and sound processor can then be attached via a built-in magnet or by clipping onto the abutment.

The goal is that all parts fit snugly together, as a snug fit helps hearing implants convey vibrations through the bone more effectively.

The kind of operation you receive will be different depending on which manufacturers system you choose. For example, Oticon Medical utilizes MIPS , which takes an average of 15 minutes to perform and usually only requires local anesthesia. MIPS reduces the likelihood of complications because it doesnt require suturing, which eliminates scarring and fosters rapid healing.

MIPS also reduces the likelihood of complications because it leaves more of the skin, blood vessels, and nerves intact. The operation was designed to create the smallest incision possible, leaving the skin and hair follicles around the new abutment intact. Recovery typically requires only a day or two of rest before you can return to your normal activities. With few exceptions, most candidates for a bone-anchored hearing device can safely undergo MIPS.

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