Cochlear Implants: Not Just for Kids anymore
Cochlear implants, tiny, implantable devices that use electrical signals to restore partial hearing and were once reserved for children who were born deaf or lost their hearing at a very early age, have found a new audience.
Thanks to major advances in digital chip technology spurred by the exploding cell phone industry, today’s cochlear implants are small enough, cheap enough, and good enough to be used in adults&mdash no matter what the reason for their hearing loss. Add the fact that we’re no longer embarrassed to walk around with things sticking out of our ears (think Bluetooth receivers) and you have a perfect storm for the use of the implants in grownups. &ldquo The new implants are so sophisticated you can even understand and appreciate music,&rdquo said Harold C. Pillsbury, MD, who chairs the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. They are also covered by 90 percent of health insurance plans, including Medicare. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder and clearer, cochlear implants stimulate the auditory nerve to replace hearing function lost by the cochlea, the auditory chamber of the inner year. In adults, that loss may stem from toxic medications such as chemotherapy, infections, or, most commonly, presbycusis, i.e., age-related hearing loss. Cochlear implants consist of two parts. The external component contains a microphone to pick up sounds connected by a thin cord to a sound processor, which organizes the sounds. A transmitter coil sends the sounds via radio waves to the implant, which is surgically embedded under the skin behind the ear. It contains the receiver and electrode system. The receiver converts the radio waves into an electrical signal which the electrodes use to stimulate fibers in the auditory nerve. Voila! Your brain registers those signals as sound and you &ldquo hear.&rdquo While older units were about the size of an iPod and had to be worn on a belt or in a pocket, some of today’s implants are tiny enough to be tucked behind the ear. Patients also often receive implants in both ears, said Dr. Pillsbury. &ldquo This allows you to hear the sound the same in both ears and determine where it’s coming from,&rdquo he said. It also improves the ability to hear voices in a noisy environment. People with some residual hearing may opt for Electric Acoustic Stimulation (EAS), composed of a hearing aid to amplify low tones and the cochlear implant to transmit high tones.Dr. Pillsbury, who implants more than
200 devices a year, envisions the day whenno one will be deaf or even hard of hearing.&ldquo There will be those who hear fine anddon’t even need hearing aids those who do well with hearing aids and those who need cochlear implants. But there won’t be anyone who can’t be helped by something.&rdquo Still, despite technology that enables wearers to program cochlear implants for specific environments (i.e., loud parties or quiet rooms), Dr. Pillsbury warns his patients not to expect miracles. Hearing with an implant &ldquo is never going to be perfect,&rdquo he said. But, he added, &ldquo It is getting better and better all the time.&rdquo Cochlear implants are not for everyone. Because they involve surgery performed
under general anesthesia, they are reserved only for those who don’t get the hearing quality they need with hearing aids. Otherwise, there are no restrictions, said Dr. Pillsbury. &ldquo I just gave them to a 92-year-old woman who couldn’t wait for them to be hooked up,&rdquo he said. She had to wait about two weeks, however, for her incision to heal before he could flip the switch and ask that all-important question: &ldquo Can you hear me now?&rdquo
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THE AUDIOLOGY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Hearing loss is the third most chronic health problem in America. Untreated hearing loss negatively impacts income on-average up to $12,000. The Audiology Awareness Campaign is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to educate the public about the value of hearing healthcare. The foundation represents audiologists nationally to increase public awareness of hearing healthcare. To learn more about protecting your hearing and hearing loss, request a free consumer educational booklet entitled &ldquo Listen-UP America We Hear You&rdquo . For a free set of earplugs call 888-833-EARS(3277) or visit our website www.audiologyawareness.com. Not sure about your hearing? Take a free Online Hearing test, read consumer-friendly brochures about hearing loss and hearing aids, discover more about audiology services, post a question about hearing on &ldquo Ask an Audiologist, or &ldquo Find an Audiologist&rdquo in your area who offers professional services. For further information about the foundation contact Dr. Landau Goodman at [email protected].
