As a result, someone with damaged or missing hair cells can’t detect sounds properly. This is because functioning hair cells are required to transform sound vibrations into electrical signals that can travel via the auditory nerve to your brain.

When the hair cells are damaged, sound vibrations cannot be converted into electrical signals. Despite the damaged or missing hair cells, a cochlear implant is able to send electrical signals to the brain where they can still be interpreted as sound.

Who a hearing implant can help depends on the type and degree of hearing loss. Cochlear implants can help people who have severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss as a result of damaged or missing hair cells in the cochlea in the inner ear. Hair cells can be missing or damaged as a result of genetics, head trauma, exposure to loud noise or other causes. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss.

There are, however, other types of hearing loss that cochlear implants cannot help with. A cochlear implant is not appropriate when the outer or middle ear cannot conduct sound properly, known as conductive hearing loss. Cochlear implants also usually cannot assist people who experience both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss at the same time or when the auditory nerve is damaged. Refer to our page on the types of hearing loss for more details.

Remember that it is always best to consult a hearing specialist if you or someone you care for may be experiencing hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss is not only the most common type of hearing loss, it is also a very common part of the aging process. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, approximately one-third of people over the age of 65 are affected by disabling hearing loss worldwide. Many people, regardless of age, with severe-to-profound hearing loss on one side can see significant improvements in their health-related quality of life after 3 months of using a cochlear implant.

Getting a cochlear implant is a big decision. Since a hearing implant will stay with you or the one you care about for many years, it’s important to consider the impact the hearing implant you choose will have, both now and in the future. Audio processors, on the other hand, can easily be upgraded with the latest technology.