A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that helps people with severe hearing loss who gain little benefit from hearing aids. It does not restore normal hearing but can improve understanding of speech and awareness of sounds.
The device uses a microphone, processor, and electrodes to turn sound into electrical signals that stimulate the auditory nerve. With practice, users usually notice major improvements in speech understanding within about six months.
A cochlear implant cannot restore normal hearing, but it can help a deaf person understand speech and recognize environmental sounds. Interpreting the signals takes practice, yet most users show clear improvement in speech understanding within about six months.
How do cochlear implants function?
A hearing aid and a cochlear implant are not the same thing. Hearing aids increase sounds so that deaf ears may hear them. Cochlear implants activate the auditory nerve system directly
without considering damaged parts of the ear. Then auditory nerve transfers these signals to the brain through the implant, and the brain understands these signals as sound. Learning new information or relearning what you’ve already learned is a process that takes time while using a cochlear implant. However, it enables a lot of people to understand speech in conversation or over the phone, identify warning signs, and distinguish other noises in their surroundings.
Who can use cochlear implants?
Cochlear implants can help children and adults with very limited hearing improve their ability to hear. When children with little or no hearing receive a cochlear implant at a young age, they are exposed to sound during the most important period for speech and language development. Research shows that children implanted early often develop better speech, hearing, and language skills than those implanted later, and they can perform well in regular classroom settings. Children as young as 9 months may be eligible for implantation. Cochlear implants can also benefit adults who lose most or all of their hearing later in life, helping them recognize sounds and speech without relying on lip-reading.