Hearing Devices to Improve Your Hearing

A variety of hearing devices are

available to improve your hearing.

The device used will be dependent

on your needs, the location of the

dysfunction causing the

impairment, and your personal

preference. Each has its

advantages and disadvantages,

but with ever-improving technology, a solution is right and ready

for you.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are most commonly prescribed to people suffering

with mild to severe loss. While normal hearing is not restored,

many speech sounds are made audible and more easily

understood. Aids are selective amplifiers, aiding the auditory

system in sending more effective acoustic messages to the brain.

Even with the use of aids, some patients with sensorineural loss

may continue to have some difficulty with comprehension.

Generally, two hearing aids are prescribed in the presence of

bilateral (two-sided) loss. The benefits of wearing two

instruments in this situation are enormous and highly

recommended by hearing healthcare providers.

Background noise issues are typically one of the largest problems

for hearing aid users. While advances in technology have

improved background noise and feedback processing, no aid can

remove background noise from the equation. It is very important

for impaired individuals to remember that background noise is a

confounding factor for even normal hearing persons. With time,

the perceived nuisance created by background noise should

lessen.

Multiple styles, designs, colors, and sizes of hearing aids are

available to the general public. Digital instruments have allowed

for smaller, sleeker aesthetics. Each style is designed to best fit

specific types and degrees of loss. Your hearing healthcare

professional will be able to help you determine what options are

best for you!

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) and Contralateral Routing of

Sound (CROS) Hearing Aids

Patients who suffer from single-sided deafness may benefit from

variations of hearing aids - the CROS hearing instrument or the

BAHA. Both devices contain a microphone that transmits sound

from the "deaf" side to the ear with hearing. CROS aids are less

invasive, and are worn over the ear or in the ear. BAHAs are not

your typical hearing instrument. A BAHA is a surgically implanted

titanium prosthetic embedded into the skull to conduct sound

directly by the skull bones to the inner ear. An abutment visible

through the skin connects to a sound processor which transmits

the sound to the implant. The implant stimulates the inner ear

allowing for improved hearing. These aids are for a very specific

group of patients.

Cochlear Implants

Prescribed for people with profound hearing loss who do not or

cannot benefit from hearing aids, the cochlear implant (CI) is an

electronic device that directly stimulates the auditory nerve with

electrical pulses that can be interpreted by the brain as sound.

The device is made up of two main components: 1) an external

sound processor, microphone and battery and 2) the surgically-

implanted internal receiver with electrodes placed in the cochlea.

Auditory Brainstem Implants

The auditory brainstem implant (ABI) and more advanced

penetrating auditory brainstem implant (PABI) are available to

patients who suffer from neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). NF2 is a

rare genetic disorder that may require severance or removal of

the hearing nerve, bilaterally. These hearing devices are solely

available to this subset of patients.

For More Information, Call Us Today at (505) 629-0612 or Visit

Our Website at http://ear-nose-throat-santa-fe-nm.com.