Better than Hearing Aids: Other Hearing Devices to Suit Your Needs
Most audiologists or specialists will recommend the use of hearing aids whenever they encounter a person suffering from hearing loss. Hearing aids are able to improve hearing but will not be able to return your hearing back to its original state. They are known to help patients but sometimes, there are people who have profound hearing loss or certain hearing impairments which this type of hearing device is unable to treat.
Cochlear Implants
This type of hearing device is recommended for patients who no longer see any cure or treatment from using a hearing aid. This is not to be considered as a hearing aid because it is totally different. It can bypass the inner ear and can provide electrical stimulation to the hearing nerve.
Also, when a patient is required to use cochlear implants, he does not only get the help from an audiologist but also an ear surgeon, speech pathologist and sometimes, even other specialists for rehabilitation. For individuals who are to use this kind of treatment, it may take months before he becomes fully adjusted to the device.
Although this is a surgery, most of them are considered as outpatient and physicians or surgeon can even do it in their office. It is a very advanced device, especially after several development in its design and features. Best of all, most private health insurance covers this surgery but to make sure, give your insurance a call first before getting it done.
Assistive Listening Devices
This type of devices are used as accessories to hearing aids or cochlear implants to make sound more accessible and understandable to patients with hearing problems.
Alerting Devices
This type of device is used by deaf or hearing-impaired patients to give them warning or alerts like that of an alarm clock, fire or smoke alarm, and intruder alerts or burglar alarms in houses.
Auditory brainstem implants (ABI)
If the patient faces severe hearing loss and is already getting problems in the transmitting of sounds to the brains, an ABI may be the best option for you. It is made up of electrodes that helps in the processing of sound, a receiver that can be placed behind the ear, and a small processor for sound identification.
It is not known to fully revive or restore a person’s hearing ability but it can help provide better hearing and easier to lip read. This is usually the type of treatment used for people with neurofibromatosis type 2.
As there are various hearing devices to suit your needs, you should not purchase your hearing aids online before you ask your ENT doctor and get a hearing aid prescription. We are an ENT specialist of hearing test and assessment and hearing aid prescription.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription