What are the Benefits of Cochlear Implants?

CI has evolved as a boon for people who have lost hearing capability specially after developing speech and those born deaf . Know more about it in this blog .

Approximately 63 million people in India, as per WHO, suffer from Significant Auditory Impairment; this places the estimated prevalence at 6.3% of the  population. The fact is that a large percentage of deaf are children aged 0 to 14 years.Many hard-of-hearing young Indians lead the loss of physical and economic productivity. 

In the situation where the hearing aids cannot amplify the sounds, CI is indicated . The benefits of CI in the cases of single-sided deafness (SSD) in terms of tinnitus reduction and speech understanding are known to improve the quality of life by making people to hear effectively.

Owing to the multiple advantages , the indications of CI in cases of hearing loss is now increasing in India.

Let’s talk about Cochlear Implants, how they work, and their benefits.

CI are an advanced, new technology that aims to work for people who are entirely deaf or have single-sided deafness. Unlike hearing aids, which only amplify acoustic sound generally through specific frequencies, the pros of cochlear implants lie in their ability to electrically stimulate the sounds by bypassing the damaged portions (the inner ear) to deliver sound signals to the auditory (hearing) nerve.

A CI system has two components :

• The microphone or the external sound processor placed at the opening of the canal , also be hidden under hair .
• The implant sits under the skin on skull bone and is attached via an electrode array placed in the inner ear.

How does the CI work?

The CI  microphone picks up the sounds at the ear canal opening. The processor captures sound signals and converts the sounds to digital signals sent to the receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear. The receiver sends the signals to CI electrodes implanted in the inner ear (cochlea).

The electrodes directly stimulate the hearing nerve, which then directs them to the brain in the form of a sound. The brain interprets those signals and understands the voices, but the sounds will differ from normal hearing.

The wearer takes time to be able to interpret the signals received from a CI. Within a year of use, most people can understand the speech easily.

As of December 2019, approximately 7,36,900 CI have been implanted worldwide.

1. Effective in Adults and Children

Since it takes time for the wearer to get used to the CI, the adults often adapt to the implants quickly and benefit immediately. After the initial tuning sessions, they continue to improve for about a quarter. Then, the performance improves at a slower pace. However, the cochlear implant performance continues to improve for several years, depending on the individual user.

Compared to the adults, the children get used to the CI slowly. They require training to get used to the new hearing and sounds. But once they know how to use it, they can easily perceive many sounds effortlessly.

2. Can perceive varieties of Sounds

CI can help people perceive different types of sounds of varying wavelengths and intensities . Apart from the voices, they can also identify sounds like footsteps, engines, phone ringing, the barking of dogs, tea kettle whistling, rustling of leaves, etc.

3. Helps understand speech without lip-reading

Most people with hearing aids still look at the lip movements to identify and recognize the words. However, with cochlear implants, people can understand voices better and interpret lip movements too.

4. Can make telephone calls easily

CI helps people understand voices over the telephone. If the people learn how to use the CI, can  even understand an unfamiliar speaker too.

5. Assists in watching TV and hearing music

One of the significant benefits of cochlear implants is that they allow the wearer to watch TV, especially when they can also see the speaker’s face. With the CI, people can also enjoy the sound of specific instruments and songs over a period of time.

6. Can Help Reduce the Tinnitus

Even though tinnitus isn’t the main reason to receive a cochlear implant, it may partially suppress or improve tinnitus severity.

Improve The Quality of Your Life With CI

With the advancements in technology, medical science has improved, and so has the quality of life. What was once considered impossible is now made possible by blending art and science. One such example is the CI , which converts the sounds to signals perceived by the brain.

If you are suffering from a hearing problem or know someone who has lost hearing capabilities, we at PSRI hospital are here to help. Get in touch with the doctors at the ENT department to know more about the Cochlear Implants.