Hearing impairment/ deafness is when a person loses the ability to hear in either one or both the ears. The level of deafness can vary from mild to severe or total loss of hearing. The burden of hearing loss in India is much more than expected. About 6.3 crore people in India suffer from significant hearing loss but awareness regarding the same is quite less. Moreover 6 to 8 in 1000 babies in India are born deaf.
What is a Cochlear Implant?
A complex electronic device which provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. Implant is surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear. An implant has four basic parts:
- Microphone
- Speech processor
- Transmitter and receiver/ stimulator
- Electrodes
Who can receive Cochlear Implant?
Patients who have severe to profound hearing loss and are not responding or not benefitted from hearing aids. Both children and adults can be the candidates for implants.