Can A Hearing Aid Cure Hearing Loss?

Can A Hearing Aid Cure Hearing Loss?

The simple answer to this question is no. A hearing aid cannot restore perfect hearing. This device only amplifies the sounds that your impaired ear hears. It can never restore your damaged ear to its full functioning capability.

If you want to seek treatment for a hearing impaired ear, you need to be diagnosed by an ENT specialist. Once he sees the root cause of your problem, he will be able to recommend the right medical procedure. But then again, the surgical operation cannot fully guarantee that your hearing will be restored 100%.

How Does A Hearing Aid Work?

A hearing aid works using 4 devices. A microphone picks up sound from around the wearer and then converts it into an electrical signal. The signal is relayed to an amplifier which increases the volume of the sounds received. The amplified sound is sent as a signal to a receiver or speaker which transforms the signal into sound. The ear of the wearer eventually hears this sound which is then sent as impulses to the brain. The whole unit is powered by a small battery.

While it is true that a hearing aid works, it won’t fully restore normal hearing. In fact, the hair cells in your inner ear play a great part in picking up the vibrations that the device sends. It then converts these vibrations into nerve signals. In short, your inner ear should have sufficient hair cells for the device to work.

The Importance of Hearing Aids

Make no mistake about it. Hearing aids have a place in the medical field. If a person is diagnosed to have a hearing impairment that cannot be medically and surgically treated, the audiologist will give the patient a hearing aids prescription.

When giving hearing aids prescription, the audiologist helps the patient to choose the applicable devices that he could use. Aside from the hearing aids prescription, the audiologist may also recommend other assistive listening devices that could help the patient hear sounds from his environment. The right device will depend on the patient’s listening needs, lifestyle and the extent of his hearing impairment.

Types of Hearing Aids

There are several types of hearing aids available nowadays.

• ITE or In the Ear hearing aids which are large devices designed for people suffering from mild to severe hearing loss.
• ITC or In the Canal hearing aids which are customized and are designed for mild to moderate hearing loss.
• CIC or Completely in the Canal hearing aids which are smaller, and designed for mild to moderate hearing loss.
• BTE or Behind the Ear hearing aid which can be used in all types of hearing loss.
• Behind the Ear Open Fit hearing aid which is the modern version of BTE in that this device is so small it is hardly visible to the eye.

Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com

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