Which is better hearing aid or cochlear implant? What's the Difference?

2024-11-15

With the rapid development of the hearing technology industry, hearing aids have been widely recognized by the market and users. At the same time, cochlear implants have also developed rapidly and are favored by parents of hearing-impaired children.

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

How are hearing aids and cochlear implants similar? Hearing aids and cochlear implants have similarities and differences. Both are hearing devices, and both use special electronic circuits to convert speech sound signals into electrical signals, and then into sound signals acceptable to the human body. The difference is that hearing aids are amplifiers that can fully amplify external signals and transmit them into the ear canal of hearing-impaired patients, through the middle ear, and then into the inner ear auditory receptors. Cochlear implants do not amplify sound, but apply pulsed electrical stimulation to the auditory nerves in the cochlea that are still functioning well, so that patients can regain sound.

So how do you choose? What kind of people are they suitable for?

Hearing aids are most suitable for patients with mild to severe hearing loss. Some patients with extremely severe hearing loss can also achieve good hearing effects. However, due to the different types and qualities of hearing aids, the amplification effect of sound signals is also different, that is, the "fidelity" of sound signals is different. The hearing-impaired patients will feel differently.

Cochlear implants are mainly suitable for extremely severe and completely deaf hearing-impaired patients. By stimulating the hair cells in the cochlea, the sound signals are converted into bioelectric signals and transmitted to the auditory center of the brain. Let patients who cannot get help from hearing aids, especially hearing-impaired children, get as much help as possible.

Should I Wear a Cochlear Implant And A Hearing Aid?

At present, hearing aids are still the first choice for hearing-impaired patients, whether they are children, adults or the elderly. Even if a cochlear implant is needed, it should be considered after wearing a hearing aid for more than half a year or a year.

Why do people choose not to get a cochlear implant?

Currently, the people who choose to have cochlear implants are mainly infants or children, because it is difficult for adults to adapt to the sound patterns of cochlear implants. Therefore, most adults do not choose cochlear implants.

Why cochlear implants are bad?

Whether wearing hearing aids or implanting cochlear implants, you need to go through a certain period of adaptation. Especially for cochlear implants, the fineness of the structure is very different from that of a healthy human cochlea, so the sound you feel will be somewhat different from the natural sound. It takes a long time, for post-lingual deaf people, it takes several months of rehabilitation training, and for pre-lingual deaf people (children), it takes 2-3 years of language rehabilitation to achieve a relatively ideal effect.

Hearing aid manufacturer

AUSTAR Hearing is a leading hearing aid manufacturer with CE1639, ISO13485 and FDA-Approved, which are more compliant and reliable. Provide hearing aid OEM and private label solutions for distributors.