Cochlear Implant is an electronic device replaced with the inner ear (cochlea) of the patients who are unable to send sound waves to the brain.

The surgery is performed on the patients who have the problem of hearing loss due to the damaged hair cells in the inner ears. The implant helps the patient to hear which are not responding to other hearing aids.

Conditions for Cochlear Implant:

Cochlear implants help people to hear with clarity. They are not like hearing aids, which make the sound louder, but it helps send sound waves to the brain and replaces the damaged hair cells in the inner ear. Following are cases where it is beneficial:

People who find it difficult to hear clearly with hearing aids.

Those with moderate hearing loss in both ears.

Patients with 50% or fewer score in the sentence recognition test.

Patients with 60% or less score in sentence recognition test with hearing aids on.

It is suggested to opt for cochlear implants in both ears. The reason is to give the patient a better perspective of sound direction and clarity in understanding the words.

How does the Cochlear Implant work?

Cochlear Implant is an electronic device with an embedded sound processor that has to be worn outside ears or on the body. Following steps are involved in cochlear implant:

The sound captured by the processor is converted digitally by the processor and sent to the coil inside the ears of the patient.

The implant converts digitally coded sound waves to electrical impulses.

The electric impulse simulates the hearing nerve of the patient.

Then sends these impulses to the brain.

Benefits of Cochlear Implants:

The cochlear implant is a blessing for people who have been suffering from hearing loss for a very long time. It provides aid to people who have not benefited from hearing devices. The benefits of the cochlear implant are:

Hear better.

Studies have shown that people with cochlear implants have better sentence recognition scores instead of hearing aids.

The patient can concentrate better in the crowd and can hear conversations across the table.

Reconnect with the missed sounds.

Enjoy music on the phone.

Cochlear Implant improves the quality of life of people with hearing loss. It gives them an aid to understand and engage themselves in a conversation. However, it takes time to learn the interpretation of the sound signals that are received from cochlear implants. But, the patient can learn and lead a normal life with the implant. The factors which affect the benefits of Cochlear implants are:

The extent of hearing loss

The duration of the hearing loss and the condition before implantation

Damage to inner hair cells

Other health issues

The practice and rehabilitation time have been done in practice after implantation

The cochlear implant is performed in the patients after taking extensive tests determining the condition of the patients. It is activated after 2-6 weeks of surgery to give the surgery site a time to heal. Most people are discharged from the hospital after surgery and are prepared for the use of an implant. There are training sessions and classes for patients who have just gone for cochlear implants.

Cochlear Implant - How Do They Help?

Usher syndrome is a genetic disorder that is characterized by complications in vision and hearing; the most common of them being partial/complete loss of hearing and retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by progressive deterioration of the retina, resulting in deprivation of peripheral vision and subsequent night blindness.

The symptoms and its rate of progression usually vary among people. Usher syndrome is classified into three types:

Type 1: In this type, children are born with balance issues and hearing loss problems. The symptoms of night blindness and loss of peripheral vision associated with  Retinitis Pigmentosa  only appear in the early stages of adolescence.
Type 2: In type 2, children are born with moderate to mild hearing loss problems. Retinitis Pigmentosa develops soon after the child reaches adolescence.
Type 3: In type 3 Usher Syndrome, children are usually born with normal hearing skills, however, loss of hearing and Retinitis pigmentosa occur soon after puberty.
Causes
Hearing loss in Usher syndrome occurs when the nerve cells that are present in the cochlear (inner ear s spiral cavity) are affected by genetic mutation. A similar problem occurs in the cells of the retina leading to loss of vision. These cells allow conversion of light into electrical signals for the brain to interpret them. Both the parents need to pass the mutated gene to the child for it to be affected. If the child has only one gene, then he/she rarely develops the symptoms.

Treatment
This disorder does not have any prescribed course of treatments. The vision loss that occurs in this disorder can be slowed down by nutritional therapy. This therapy involves providing the body with essential amounts of vitamin A which can help in reducing vision loss.

Usher Syndrome - Things You Must Know!

What Causes Meniere s Disease?
Meniere's Disease is a disorder that basically affects the sense of balance and hearing of the patient. This condition takes place in the inner ear and it may cause problems like vertigo, where patients experience a spinning sensation and a ringing sound as well. This is a chronic disorder, which requires a number of lifestyle changes so that it can be managed and treated without becoming a debilitating problem.

Read on to know more about the symptoms and causes of the condition.

Symptoms: The various signs and symptoms of this disease include a feeling of fullness in the ear, which has been affected by the condition. Also, most patients have a spinning sensation and a ringing sound in the affected ear. Nausea and vomiting may also be caused by this condition, along with sweating and loss of balance. It is also normal to feel uncoordinated when you are suffering from this condition.

Secondary Symptoms: This condition may also cause many other complications, which are known as secondary symptoms. These include anxiety, depression and stress. This usually happens due to the problems in the ear and even the problem of vertigo. This may cause problems for people who climb heights or ladders for their work or even for other recreational causes. The constant sense of dizziness and spinning may cause a person to become anxious and undertake stress when it comes to carrying out various kinds of functions in day to day living.

Causes:  There are various causes of this condition, even though many medical reports suggest that the exact cause has not really been understood so far. As any doctor will tell you, the in the inner ear there is a labyrinth which contains fluids. When there is a problem with the composition and level of these fluids, the patient may develop Meniere s Disease. This condition specifically affects the inner part of the ear. This part is made up of passages and a cavity as well as soft membrane like structures with hair like sensors. These sensors respond to the fluid s movement within the ear. When this fluid does not have the appropriate levels, it can lead to many complications like Meniere s Disease, which affect the nerve impulse that these sensors catch and transmit to the brain.
Stages: This disease progresses over a set of three stages. In the very first stage, the patient will experience much dizziness and nausea, before that progresses to the second stage. In this stage, the patient will have moderate to severe vertigo. This is also known as the middle stage. Finally, this may culminate into the third or late stage, which leads to more frequent episodes of vertigo. The hearing of the patient and the ringing sound in the ears will also get worse in this stage.

Meniere s Disease -  What are the Reasons Behind It 

Hearing is one of the five senses that you or anyone else relies on for communication and a whole host of other things. Among the five senses, touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight, it is often hearing, which is the most easily affected. You don't have to be a senior citizen to experience hearing loss as it is quite common among younger people as well. This problem is also getting widespread with each passing day.

Before coping with hearing loss, the first job is to detect it
If you have a hunch that you or any of your loved ones is suffering from hearing loss, it is important that you get it diagnosed. Some of the common symptoms of hearing loss will be:

 Hearing difficulties while talking to someone over the phone
 Straining to hear conversations with family members or friends in household situations 
 People usually need to repeat what they talk to you with a louder voice
 You often hear complaints that you keep the tv too loud.
 In crowded situations, such as family gatherings or a restaurant, you have problems listening to people.

Although this condition tends to affect senior citizens, an increasing trend shows younger people i. E. People mostly in their 40 and 50s and even younger than that suffer from this condition.

How to deal with hearing loss?
Some of the options to deal with hearing loss are mentioned below.

 Once diagnosed with hearing problems, change your ways of communication: if you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with hearing problems, it is important that both adjust your ways to deal with the problem. Rather than getting angry at the other for not being able to communicate effectively, develop and strategize ways to make communication less problematic and erratic.
 Cochlear implants: this is a newer technology, which has gained popularity in the past decade or so. These are directly implanted into the inner ear and are designed to bypass the damaged areas of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. These have become very popular, although, are not a replacement of natural hearing. It is only prescribed for people who have severe hearing loss or are deaf.
 Hearing aids: although selecting a hearing aid is difficult as the patient needs to be comfortable, once selected it is one of the best solutions for the hearing impaired. The functionality of these devices can be extended with the hearing assistive technology or hat devices that can focus the audio waves depending on the situations and give a more tailored approach for every individual's needs.

Dealing With Hearing Loss

Loss or impairment of hearing can happen due to a variety of causes and may be temporary or permanent in nature, depending on the type and severity of the condition. One of the most common causes of hearing impairment is age. The degeneration of one's vital organs and senses becomes a reality for many people as the advancement of age happens, and the delicate insides of the ears are no different. Noise pollution, injury to the ear drum or any other part of the ear, as well as the movement of particles inside are only a few of the many reasons for loss of hearing. One of the many ways of dealing with long term hearing impairment is by using a hearing aid. Read on to know how you can regain your hearing with hearing aids.

1. Long Forgotten Sound: A hearing aid will help you reacquaint yourself with long forgotten and subtle sounds that you may not have been able to hear for a long time. Many times, this kind of impairment also makes us forget to notice the fact that we do not hear so many normal sounds in our everyday lives - sounds that we probably did not notice even earlier. This may include the whirring of a fan, the whoosh of the air, the pitter patter of pets' feet and so much more. A hearing aid will help in bringing about an adjustment to these sounds that you will actually end up discovering again.

2. Technicalities: The hearing aid basically works by letting your hearing and ears readjust to the various volumes, intensity and vibrations that one feels when different sounds reach the ears. This helps in hearing better.

3. Amplification: A hearing aid is basically an electroacoustic device that fits in neatly behind your ear where it is tucked away from plain sight. This device helps in amplifying sounds so that you can catch them and hear them more clearly.

4. Modulation: The ENT specialist will usually prescribe a certain kind of hearing aid based on your individual condition in terms of volume, size, power and circulation. These factors help in modulating the sounds in a certain way so that they reach the nerve pathways from the inner ear and travel to the brain in a proper and effective way. This is usually done in a customised way to cater to the specific type and cause of your hearing loss.

Using a hearing aid is a matter of retraining your hearing rather than restoring it completely. These aids will be helpful in regaining a better sense of hearing within the condition you are going through, rather than reversing the condition completely.

Regain Your Hearing With Hearing Aids

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is used to restore hearing ability in people who suffer from hearing loss due to inner ear damage. Unlike hearing aids which amplify sounds so people with hearing loss are better able to perceive them, cochlear implants directly transmit electronic sound signals to the auditory nerve. They work by compensating for damaged cochlea, the part of inner ear that converts sound waves into neural impulses which are perceived by the brain. 

A child who cannot hear will also never be able to speak. 
Inability to hear and speak puts a person at disadvantage in society. 
Simple tasks like talking on the phone which we take for granted become impossible. 
Conventional methods of learning like attending a classroom lecture become impossible. 
Brain development and intelligence is closely linked to development of speech and language. 
Inability of parents to communicate with child leads to emotional distancing. 
Integrating a hearing disabled person in to society becomes a frustrating experience for all involved. 
Cost of integration per capita in much higher when compared to cost of Cochlear Implant. 
Children with Cochlear Implants are fully integrated in society with normal hearing & speech. 
Children with Cochlear Implants can attend regular schools & colleges 
Early identification of hearing impairment gives children a better chance of developing speech and language skills, and of making the most of social and emotional interaction from an early age. 
Cochlear implants offer a multitude of benefits to people experiencing hearing loss, especially infants and children with severe hearing loss who are just starting to process language and speech. Some of these benefits are: 

Hearing and communication   Cochlear implants improve hearing significantly, especially to a level where normal communication can be restored. It enhances the person s ability to hear speech without relying on visual cues such as lip reading or hand signs. It makes telephonic conversation a lot easier. Cochlear implants also help people regulate their own voice and volume so that it is easier for others to understand them. 
Quality of life - It can help people with hearing loss listen to and enjoy music and also watch television with sounds. It helps people listen to sounds in a noisy environment and differentiate soft sounds from loud ones. 
Safety   Cochlear implants enhance the individual s safety as it allows the person to be able to hear warning sounds like honking cars or ambulance sirens. This will allow people to navigate public spaces in a much safer way. 
Society - For children with hearing loss, cochlear implants can help them adjust a lot better to regular schools instead of requiring special institutions. 
Brain development - It can help infants with cochlear damage develop their speech recognition and speaking skills much faster. 
Cochlear implants 

Only device of its kind that can restore a special sense.
Consists of 2 parts-
One part is surgically implanted in the body 
Second part is worn behind the ear and communicates with internal part using wireless signals 
Persons of any age can get a cochlear implant, from less than one year old children to 90 year old persons have received implants all around the world. 
Cochlear implants can be done for partial hearing loss also, know as Hybrid implant that preserves the residual natural hearing and augments hearing only in certain sound frequencies in which hearing loss is present. 
Are being used for indications other than hearing loss also like Tinnitus. 
Surgery is a day care procedure for most patients. 
Consult a doctor to get a clear assessment of whether you would be an eligible candidate for a cochlear implant and what to expect from the procedure.

Cochlear Implant - The Many Benefits Of It

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