Apparatus and implant for deafness

It is possible to hear again in cases of profound deafness, however, the chances of being able to hear clearly and without difficulty are low, and the most successful cases of recovery of part of the hearing are those of mild or moderate deafness.

However, in most cases, it is necessary to use hearing aids or a cochlear implant to allow the conduction of electrical stimuli to the brain, which is what is normally affected in profound deafness. Thus, surgeries or other types of treatment may not produce any type of result, as they only correct structural changes, and therefore are not widely used.

Main treatments for profound deafness

The main treatments that help to improve hearing capacity in cases of profound deafness include:

1. Hearing aids

Hearing aids are the most used type of hearing aid as the first form of treatment in cases of profound deafness, as their power can be easily changed and regulated to suit the hearing degree of each patient.

Generally, hearing aids are placed behind the ear with a microphone that amplifies the sound to a small column that is placed inside the ear, allowing the patient to hear a little more clearly.

However, this type of hearing aid, in addition to increasing the sound of the voice, also amplifies external noise, such as the noise of wind or traffic, for example, and may make it difficult to hear in places with more noise, such as cinema or lectures.

2. Cochlear implant

The cochlear implant is used in the most severe cases of profound deafness, when the use of hearing aids cannot improve the patient's hearing capacity.

However, the cochlear implant does not always totally improve hearing, but they can allow you to hear some sounds, facilitating the understanding of language, especially when associated with reading the lips or sign language, for example.