Image courtesy of Cochlear Americas
Cochlear implants are often a next solution for our patients, when their hearing aids are not providing enough assistance. Many people start by wearing two hearing aids. However, as hearing loss progresses, you may need something more. To improve your hearing performance and help you understand more clearly, you may need to consider a solution that helps you hear your best with both ears.1,2 For many, a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other can provide a richer more natural hearing experience.1 This combination is referred to as bimodal hearing. Cochlear implants can also be placed in both ears for those who don’t any get benefit from hearing aids in either ear.
With hearing aids, do you:
- Have difficulty hearing conversations, especially with background noise?
- Often ask people to repeat themselves?
- Often misunderstand what people say?
- Have trouble hearing on the telephone?
- Turn up the volume on the TV louder than others in the room prefer?
- Feel people often mumble when they talk?
- Struggle to hear sounds of nature such as birds chirping or rain falling?
- Find yourself agreeing, smiling or nodding during conversations when you’re not sure what’s been said?
- Regularly withdraw from conversations because it’s too difficult to hear?
- Read lips to understand what people are saying?
As the first and only member of the Cochlear Provider Network in the Trussville area, we can assess and treat those who may be a candidate for a hearing implant. We can conduct candidacy evaluations to see if an implant may be right for you.
How do cochlear implants work?
A cochlear implant is an implantable device that is placed within the inner ear (also known as the cochlea) during an outpatient surgery. Instead of a hearing aid, which just amplifies sound, the cochlear implant sends signals directly to the hearing nerve and brain which translate those signals into sound.
Frequently asked questions:
Visit the Cochlear Americas FAQ page for commonly asked questions about cochlear implants.
For more information about cochlear implants, visit the Cochlear Americas website or contact Southern ENT at 205-838-3755 to schedule an evaluation!
Testimonials:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CochlearAmericas/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=13
References
- Gifford RH, Dorman MF, McKarns SA, Spahr AJ. Combined electric and contralateral acoustic hearing: Word and sentence recognition with bimodal hearing. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2007 Aug 1;50(4):835-43.
- Dorman MF, Gifford RH, Spahr AJ, McKarns SA. The benefits of combining acoustic and electric stimulation for the recognition of speech, voice and melodies. Audiology and Neurotology. 2008;13(2):105-12.
