QA
Q. What is the difference between a hearing aid and a Cochlear Implant? A. A cochlear implant is completely different from a hearing aid. While hearing aids amplify sounds to a level audible for people with hearing impairment, cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear, directly stimulating the auditory nerve. Sound signals are collected by the audio processor (external portion) and are sent to the implant located underneath the skin behind the ear. An electrode array that is surgically implanted in the inner ear stimulates the nerve to allow the user to hear. (see figure 1).For individuals with severe to profound hearing loss or even complete deafness, CI’s can help them to communicate and participate in the hearing world. Cochlear implants may help children born without the sense of hearing to grow up and be active in the hearing world. In addition, unlike hearing aids, learning to make optimal use of a CI is a process that requires (re)habilition.
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www.lifesciencesmagazines.com
with David Rätz, Regional Manager, MED-EL Middle East
The Cochlea, Latin for snail shell, is the auditory portion of the inner ear. It is a spiral-shaped cavity making 2.5 turns around its axis. The Cochlea is the home of the sensory organ of hearing. In a healthy ear highly sensitive ‘hair’ cells create signals which
are picked up by the auditory nerve and forwarded to the brain. If those sensory cells are missing or damaged hearing is impaired or no sound can be heard at all, making the patient profoundly deaf. A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic
device that provides direct electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve to provide a sense of sound to a person who has severe hearing problems or is even completely deaf. The implant system consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
as of December 2010, approximately 219,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants. Arab Health magazine discussed the technology, challenges and potential clients for a successful implant with David Rätz from the Dubai-based Med-El Middle East FZE, one of the major manufacturers of cochlear implants.
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