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Medicanet
body parts
ears
Implantable Hearing Aids |
Implantable Hearing Aids Hearing impairment is an invisible disease. Unlike blindness or other physical deformity, deafness cannot be detected immediately. There are several causes for hearing impairment. It may be a result of a head injury, disease, or a genetic disorder. Fortunately, for many people who have hearing problems, there are several options to alleviate the condition. They can get the recommended hearing aids which can respond to the degree and the type of their hearing loss. The latest in hearing aids technology now available are hearing implants. However not all patients can use hearing aids because of abnormalities in the ear. Implantable hearing aids are applied to rehabilitate conducitve hearing loss, and sensory hearing loss.
Implantable hearing aids are implanted within the ear after the implanted titanium screw has been integrated, usually after three months. A pedestal and a hearing aid that vibrates are attached to the screw. The vibrating motions of the hearing aid bridges the defective area between the brain and the cochlea. The sound is processed and the message is received by the brain.
For nerve deafness, the implantable hearing aids use the advantage of cochlear implants. This is a bone anchored implant. A computerized device is surgically implanted into the mastoid process or that bone behind the human ear. A series of electrodes is then inserted into the cochlea. This allows the undamaged fibers or the hearing nerves transmit the electrical impulses to the brain.
If a patient has mixed hearing loss, meaning he has both conducive or sense hearing impairment, he can be outfitted with the high power Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA). Implantable hearing aids or implantable middle ear devices can also benefit those who have cochlear damage. In this case, the ear doctor has to check if the eighth cranial nerve is intact. If undamaged, the implantable hearings aids can be effective in rehabilitating patients who have to learn how to imitate speech sounds.
The implantable hearing aids are best suited for children with cochlear damage. The earlier the implant is carried out at the age of 12, the earlier the children learn to talk because they can hear.
Implantable hearing aids are expensive and can cost as much as $5000 or $20,000 per ear. Alternatives would be the analog hearing aids, which amplifies sound. Some items can be bought for $300. Digital hearing aids, are quite expensive and can cost you as much as $5,000 per ear. .
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