Hearing loss occurs for many reasons—age, accident, infection, disease, medication, or even genetics. Regardless of the cause, hearing loss impacts your life. Conversations become more difficult. Music can be less enjoyable. Talking on the phone can be frustrating or impossible.
If you are straining to hear even when using well-fit hearing aids or are unable to understand what is being said, a cochlear implant may be right for you.
What exactly Is a cochlear implant?
Opposite a removable hearing aid, a cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device that bypasses the normal acoustic process of hearing to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
A cochlear implant involves two parts, a surgically implanted internal piece and an external piece worn behind the ear. The external device, called a sound processor, picks up sound and transmits it to the internal device by a magnetic connection.
A history of cochlear implant candidacy
First introduced in 1985, patients have been using cochlear implants for over three decades, with more than 250,000 people utilizing the tech worldwide.
Back in the 80s, patients were required to have bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and no aided speech recognition abilities in order to be considered a candidate for cochlear implants.
However, cochlear implant technology has dramatically changed since then, and we’ve developed a deeper understanding of how the brain processes sound. Today, patients with lesser degrees of hearing loss and higher speech recognition scores may be eligible for cochlear implants. In addition, the age requirement for pediatric patients has lowered to nine months.
Are you a good candidate for cochlear implants?
Cochlear implant candidacy depends on your level of hearing loss and your unique hearing profile. In general, most candidates have moderate to profound hearing loss or worse and receive little to no benefit from hearing aids.
If you think you may be a candidate for cochlear implants, please contact the Eckelmann-Taylor Speech & Hearing Clinic at (309) 438-8641 or speechhearingclinic@IllinoisState.edu. You may also find additional information on the ISU Speech & Hearing Clinic website.
