1. 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

2. 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

3. 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
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