Hearing Aids vs. Cochlear Implants: What’s the Difference?

When you are diagnosed with hearing loss, finding the right way to manage the situation will have a telling impact on improving your quality of life and enabling you to hear a greater range of sounds. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are the two options that you are most likely to encounter.

While an audiologist can provide a detailed hearing test and help you discuss the different options at your disposal, only you can decide which route is best. Here’s all you need to know about hearing aids and cochlear implants so that you can reach a calculated decision.

What are Hearing Aids?

Most people are familiar with hearing aids and know at least one person that wears them. They are small electronic devices that may be worn in either ear or both ears simultaneously to help the user by making a greater range of sounds audible to them. This can improve their volume and clarity with telling result by working as an amplification system.

Hearing aids are available in a range of styles, including behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE) and ITC (in-the-canal) designs. Modern models can also feature advanced Hearing Assistive Technologies and Bluetooth connections.

While different styles are more suitable for certain lifestyles and levels of hearing, the devices are calibrated to match the user’s individual hearing profile. Many hearing aids also feature ear molds that are designed specifically for the user’s ear.

What are Cochlear Implants?

Cochlear implants are sophisticated medical devices designed to address severe to profound hearing loss. Unlike traditional hearing aids that amplify sound, cochlear implants directly stimulate the auditory nerve to transmit sound signals to the brain. This involves a surgical procedure in which a small electronic device is implanted under the skin behind the ear. The device consists of an external microphone and speech processor that captures sound, converts it into electrical signals and sends them to the internal implant.

This implant then stimulates the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged parts of the ear and allowing individuals with profound hearing loss to perceive sound and speech more clearly, which can significantly enhance their quality of life.

Hearing Aids vs. Cochlear Implants: Which is Right for You?

While hearing aids and cochlear implants serve a similar fundamental purpose, the way that they work is very different, which is why it’s so critical to speak to an audiologist. There is no single right or wrong answer as the proper management strategy should be aligned with the individual’s hearing loss needs. However, cochlear implants are not an amplification system for traditional hearing loss and are primarily used by people with profound hearing loss or deafness.

Hearing aids can be used by patients with all levels of hearing loss. BTEs are effective for mild to profound hearing loss while ITEs are great for moderate hearing loss, especially when the user has dexterity issues. ITCs are good for mild to severe hearing loss. Whichever style is selected, it’s important to understand the differences between various models.

Compact modern devices are less visible than in previous generations and far less intrusive than implants. They can be worn on a daily basis and removed when not used. However, they do rely on the residual hearing of the user to work, which is why they might not be suitable if the inner ear is damaged to the point where no sound is picked up.

Cochlear implants can provide a great solution when hearing aids are not effective, usually due to severe damage in the inner ear. However, audiological and psychological assessments are required to confirm suitability. Surgery typically lasts around two hours, but the entire procedure and prep could be a total of four to six. While the post-surgery recovery should take no longer than two weeks, the external components are often not activated until at least three to four weeks after the initial surgery.

While both types of hearing devices can be recalibrated, changing hearing aids following a change in hearing profile is typically easier. Hearing aids may also be programmed to focus on certain frequencies and block out background noise thanks to different settings like white noise tracks.

Both cochlear implants and hearing aids will have limitations and do not restore the patient’s hearing to perfection. However, the positive impacts on a person’s quality of life and ability to interact with their surroundings are huge. In most cases, hearing aids are the best choice but cochlear implants are a possible alternative when traditional hearing loss management plans won’t work.

To find out more about hearing devices and how you could benefit from finding the right style for your hearing loss, lifestyle and budgetary needs, contact a friendly team member at Brentwood Hearing Center by calling (615) 866-0431.