Treatment Options For Hearing Loss: What You Should Know

When you are suffering from hearing loss, you may wonder if there is anything possible that you can do to help remedy the situation other than the traditional hearing aids that you have seen worn by the elderly. However, while hearing loss can be challenging to treat, there are numerous options available to you to help you deal with and even reverse your hearing loss. Get to know some of the treatment options available that can help you regain as much of your hearing capabilities as soon as possible. The sooner you get started with your treatments, the sooner you can feel more like yourself again.

Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants are one of the treatment options available for profound hearing loss and deafness that are the most effective. While hearing aids are removable and essentially work as sound amplifiers on the outside of the ear, cochlear implants are surgically placed in the brain rather than in the ear itself.

These surgical implants are designed to do the work of the ears artificially. The implant receives sound waves from the outside world as electrical impulses or signals that the implant can read and process. Those impulses are then translated into messages that can be read by the brain as sound. Of course, the sound produced by cochlear implants in the brain is not the same as the sounds you will have heard naturally.

Cochlear implants cannot always pick up subtle tonal differences and may not be able to isolate specific sounds in noisy or crowded environments. Additionally, some different frequencies, particularly the higher sounds cannot be processed well by cochlear implants.

Hybrid Implants

Hybrid implants are a newer technology that take the concept of the cochlear implant and expand upon it to include a higher quality of hearing for people who choose this option. The idea behind a hybrid implant is that it takes the best qualities of a cochlear implant and the best qualities of a hearing aid and combine them together.

Because of this, you would be able to improve your hearing of both the higher and lower tonal frequencies, better be able to hear in tough situations like when using the telephone or in crowded areas and are trying to pick out a single voice. The system involves an implant similar to that of a traditional cochlear implant as well as a behind-the-ear hearing aid (or sound amplifier) that work together to provide comprehensive hearing restoration.

Now that you have a few ideas of the hearing loss treatments that are available to you, you can talk to a  doctors, such as at http://www.HearDenver.org, about what option would be best for you. Remember that technologies and treatments are constantly evolving and you should keep an eye out if you are interested in participating in any clinical trials or trying out new, innovative hearing loss solutions.