Hearing Aids vs Cochlear Implants

Hearing loss can affect people at any stage of life. Some people are affected by age-related hearing loss, others by noise-induced hearing loss and others still are affected by congenital hearing loss from birth. There are two devices to treat the condition hearing aids and cochlear implants. 

Cochlear implants and hearing aids are very different. Although both devices are designed to improve an individual’s hearing, one achieves this by amplifying the sound while the other does it by sending vibrations into the inner ear. Find out more about what makes the devices unique. 

What Are Hearing Aids? 

Hearing aids are small electronic devices that are fitted to the outside of the ear. Their job is to capture sound waves from the surrounding environment using a microphone and send them into the ear canal, where they can be interpreted by the cochlear and turned into electrical signals. 

There are different types of hearing aid, some of them are fitted to the behind the ear ear, such as behind-the-ear devices (BTE), and others are designed to fit in the ear; these are called in-the-ear devices (ITE). Hearing aids come with many advanced features. 

How Do They Treat Hearing Loss?

In short, hearing aid devices improve hearing by amplifying the sound in the environment giving your inner ear a better chance of healing the sound waves. Over time the tiny hairs of the inner ear start to disappear, making it harder for hears to pick up sound unless it’s artificially amplified. 

The type of hearing aid you have depends on your hearing loss; if you have tinnitus, you can benefit from a noise reduction device, but hearing loss will require more amplification. They also have a range of features to enhance user experiences, like directional microphones and more.    

How Do They Differ from Implants?

Cochlear implants are more complex than hearing devices, they require surgery, and they don’t restore hearing. Unlike hearing devices, cochlear implants are not designed to amplify sound and are mostly recommended for people with severe hearing loss who need to communicate. 

Instead of simply amplifying the sound, cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve; this creates the sensation of sound in the nerve and brain. Unlike hearing devices that amplify sounds, implants send signals from outside to the cochlear.  

What Are Cochlear Implants? 

People with severe hearing loss can benefit from cochlear implants. The cochlear is a snail-shaped organ in the inner ear; it is filled with fluid and contains tiny hairs called cilia; these cilia are needed to transmute sound waves into electrical signals for the brain to interpret. 

Those with severe hearing loss might require cochlear implants to bypass damaged portions of the inner ear and create vibrations for the brain artificially. Using a sound processor fitted behind the ear, the implants capture the sound and send it to a receiver implanted in the ears cochlear.  

How Do They Treat Hearing Loss?

Normally, sound waves travel through the ear canal, where they are amplified by the eardrum and sent to the inner ear. Sound waves travel through the fluid in the cochlear and vibrate the tiny hairs located there. The vibrations are turned into electrical signals and read by the brain. 

People with severe hearing loss most likely have damage to the cochlear organ; usually, there are not enough cilia to interpret the sound, but it can have other causes. Cochlear implants use a processor and receiver planted under the skin that sends signals to electrodes in the cochlear.  

How Do They Differ from Devices?

Cochlear implants are used for people who no longer benefit from hearing aid devices. In those with severe hearing loss, hearing aids no longer work because there are not enough cilia in the inner ear to interpret the signals. In some ways, cochlear implants use signals to replace cilia. 

Hearing aid devices amplify sound for the cochlear to interpret, but implants replace the communication process of the inner ear with electronic signals. Cochlear implants are only recommended for severe hearing loss or for people with unfortunate congenital conditions. 

If you have a hearing loss issue, you might have heard of hearing devices and cochlear implants. Nowadays, there is a trend toward the idea of implants because it suggests an easier time and less maintenance. Unfortunately, cochlear implants are not as convenient as dental implants, and they are not an alternative to hearing aids for the majority of people. If you want to learn more about your hearing aid options, consult the team at Professional Hearing Aid Associates by calling us today at (785) 940-4101.