CI help

beth10100

beth10100

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I really hate to ask this, because I am starting to understand that this is not a big deal anymore. But, I shall ask anyway. ;)

I am doing a paper on CI's and my cousins do not have them, they just have hearing aids.

Do they help y'all hear any better than a hearing aid? Or are they very similar?

Thanks in advance! And, again... sorry to bring it up, again. :ugh:
 
The implants is very helpful for those who do not receive any benefits from hearing aids anymore, as in they can't make sense of what they're hearing with hearing aids or they're so deaf hearing aids are useless. The implant helps then. But it takes time and patience and some auditory rehab to learn and make sense of all the sounds the implant picks up on. Cochlear implants are for those who have severe-profound losses and do not benefit much from hearing aids, not for those who are doing very well with hearing aids.

In my case, my left ear is a dead ear. So profoundly deaf, a hearing aid was useless. But the cochlear implant makes a whole world of difference! I am now able to hear with the left ear for the first time in 20ish years. Of course, I still have a ways to go with my auditory rehab. I still have a hearing aid in the right ear, and both hearing aid and CI balance each other out.
 
beth10100 said:
I really hate to ask this, because I am starting to understand that this is not a big deal anymore. But, I shall ask anyway. ;)

I am doing a paper on CI's and my cousins do not have them, they just have hearing aids.

Do they help y'all hear any better than a hearing aid? Or are they very similar?

Thanks in advance! And, again... sorry to bring it up, again. :ugh:
Click to expand...

Beth,

There are several adults on this forum who had HAs and now have cis and they are almost universally of the view that they hear better with cis than with HAs.

If you are doing a paper on cis then as part of your research you should visit the websites for the 3 ci manufacturers; Cochlear Corp, Advanced Bionics and Med-El on the respective sites they will explain how a ci functions, why it is different than hearing aids and why for some people who get no benefit from HAs, the ci has allowed them access to sounds they would not be able to hear with HAs.

Good Luck,
Rick
 
My daughter was born with profound hearing loss, and despite trying powerful hearing aids, they never provided adequate sound, but did cause her pain when they attempted to reach for useful sound by raising the volume to reach that 100db level. With CIs, she accesses all of the speech sounds at about 15db across the board, which is normal range for typically hearing people. So for her, she got no benefit from HAs which she would toss, and says she loves her CIs, insisting on wearing them during all waking hours.

But they aren't interchangeable: people who get CIs can no longer hear useful sound using HAs. And people who get great sound using HAs would and could not get a CI. It wouldn't be a choice you are offered: hey, do you want great sound with HAs or great sound with CIs? If you can access useful sound with an HA, usually defined as hearing speech sound, seems to me that would be far preferable to surgical intervention.
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Also not all people with severe - profound hearing loss (who don't benefit from HAs) are medicially suitable canadiates for CI due to various anatomical issues in the ear etc.
 
To Anij's point: Sunnybrook/Toronto since 1984 has tested 3000 adults.of which 1000 were implanted. Of the 1000 only 18 didn't benefit from the Implant.
Aside: I was one of the 1000- 5 years ago.
The statistics were given at a patients meeting late last year.
 
drphil said:
To Anij's point: Sunnybrook/Toronto since 1984 has tested 3000 adults.of which 1000 were implanted. Of the 1000 only 18 didn't benefit from the Implant.
Aside: I was one of the 1000- 5 years ago.
The statistics were given at a patients meeting late last year.
Click to expand...


For the clarification of the original poster:

This means that (at least at that centre) only approximately 30-33% of people who were profoundly deaf who didn't benefit from HAs and WANTED to have a CI placed, were found to be "medically able" to actaully have a CI implanted.

When you look at the statistics, CIusers actually make up a very small portion of the hard of hearing and deaf population - well under 5%, likely under 1%. CIs get a lot of attention because they are often incorrectly toted at a "cure" and because of how the Deaf Community responded to the first generations of implants (and there was good reason for it)
 
It would seem to me that anyone" Considering" an Implant actually "hopes" they are "suitable". Otherwise-why go through the process?

The idea of "debating" the "value" of having one Implanted at the Hospital -again-seems a bit odd to me.

aside: I aware this is a computer forum-from a "discussion" with a person- 2 years ago with the same surgeon I had- 5 years ago.

If one doesn't want to be Implanted-why argue with a surgeon?
 
drphil said:
It would seem to me that anyone" Considering" an Implant actually "hopes" they are "suitable". Otherwise-why go through the process?

The idea of "debating" the "value" of having one Implanted at the Hospital -again-seems a bit odd to me.

aside: I aware this is a computer forum-from a "discussion" with a person- 2 years ago with the same surgeon I had- 5 years ago.

If one doesn't want to be Implanted-why argue with a surgeon?
Click to expand...


I think that what you are really asking is "why go through the process of implantation if they are not medically suitable to get one?"


People go through the process for one of these four reasons:

1) They want to believe that they will get some hearing back.

2) Someone else wants to believe that they will get their hearing back.

3) They were knocked out by a sedative and forced to get implanted.

4) Someone lost a bet or is betting. (Highly unlikely, mind you...)
 
This is so great! Thanks guys! :D

I have read on some people's blogs that it hurts to hear when using the CIs. Has anyone had that problem? And, if so does the pain go away? Or, is this also something that only a small percent of CI's have a problem with?
 
beth10100 said:
This is so great! Thanks guys! :D

I have read on some people's blogs that it hurts to hear when using the CIs. Has anyone had that problem? And, if so does the pain go away? Or, is this also something that only a small percent of CI's have a problem with?
Click to expand...

For some it maybe a reaction to a certain sound which is usually resolved by re-mapping the ci.
 
Beth10100: There is some "minor pain" from the operation. In my case none the next day. There was a 4 week "healing of the skull"-then the externals are "hooked up". I didn't experience "pain" when activated. Still don't to this day.
 
Alright! Thank you all soooo much! If I could, I would give all y'all big hugs for the help!:hug: This information is priceless, again thanks!!
 
I think the question wasn't to profoundly deaf as these will hear with CI better than HA.

The question is for those went to CI nad how to compare them with first hearing aids they had when their loss wasn't that bad.
 
As for comparison of "hearing" with my Implant VS my previous aidi- Phonak LL6? My Implant gives more hearing than the Hearing aid. First lost all hearing Right ear Feb/92 than became bilateral DEAF in Dec/ 2006 I was in the Profound category over 35 years plus.
My experience.
 
beth10100 said:
This is so great! Thanks guys! :D

I have read on some people's blogs that it hurts to hear when using the CIs. Has anyone had that problem? And, if so does the pain go away? Or, is this also something that only a small percent of CI's have a problem with?
Click to expand...
Would love to know which blog that is..
With a good working CI, the only "pain" I have heard about is when the coil is connected to the receiver under the skin.
With my daughter, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that. She puts it on/off without a blink.
But.. there are CI-users that do have that pain..
Here's a great video that illustrates someone waking up, putting on the CI and even fixing it. (Not recommended..)..

Equilibrium - YouTube
 
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