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If you have a child who struggles with early onset deafness, it can be disconcerting and leave you not knowing exactly what to do. If you do suspect a problem, your child's pediatrician may recommend that you see an audiologist to have it checked. It could be something as simple as ear wax build-up or something more serious that requires amplification. It is important to get these things diagnosed as soon as possible so that you can solve the problems. There are several different types of hearing aids. These can be either hearing aids that are on the outside of the body, or those that are anchored to the bone, otherwise known as cochlear implants. These work through conduction through the bones after being surgically implanted into the skull. These are best used when the person's ear canals don't work, making it impossible for a mould to be made. Since it is attached directly to the skull, it uses it to travel straight to the cochlea. If you are a person who experiences conductive hearing loss, the implant goes around the auditory canal and middle ear and directly stimulates the cochlea, which needs to be fully functioning for the procedure to work properly. However, if your deafness is unilateral, the skull is used to conduct the vibrations caused by sound to the side of the head with functioning auditory system. Early tests were on adult subjects, but more recently research and testing has found that a child as young as 5 in the United States can use the device on a soft band that he has worn from the time that the hearing loss is diagnosed while the child is an infant. They usually tolerate it very well and when the bone is thick enough, the child can have a rod made of titanium surgically implanted into the skull with a small section exposed outside the skin for the processor to be attached to so that the sounds can be properly transmitted through the ear. This opens up a new life for the non-hearing child. The procedure to have the implant put in is fairly simple and is not overly risky for either the patient or for the surgeon. As with any surgery, there will be some pain involved as well as temporary numbness since the nerves are cut during the procedures. Your deafness will not get worse, and if you decide that you don't want the device, ti can be easily removed. You can also live a normal life and play sports with the implant. If you have a small child who struggles with hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be a hearing aid alternative you want to consider. It will be easy for him to adapt and experience those things in life that no child should miss out on due to a disability. If you need a trustworthy doctor to help you get fitted for a northern michigan hearing aid,we can help. Learn more about your options at http://www.miracle-ear-northernmichigan.com.
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