

These patients would not be good candidates for a BAHA, which depends on a functional inner ear and auditory nerve to work.Ĭochlear implants have more components and are fairly technical and intricate. They may also have significant problems with speech discrimination. These patients may have lost their hearing in both ears, have a poorly functioning inner ear resulting in poor conduction, or even have what is known as nerve deafness, which impacts the auditory nerve. Some patients with more profound hearing loss are unable to successfully use traditional hearing aids nor BAHA implants. They are intended to help patients with discerning speech and other sounds, making their hearing loss more manageable. The implant works by transforming sounds that it picks up and sending the signal through the bone, instead of through the ear canal and middle ear, which is what a traditional hearing aid does.īAHA implants do not restore perfect hearing or make every sound crystal clear. A titanium implant is surgically placed inside the skull with an exterior processor that attaches behind the ear. It can also help with mixed hearing loss, as long is it is not severe.īAHA relies on bone conduction to send signals to the inner ear and auditory nerve, which means that the cochlea and nerve should function properly. Children and adults can both benefit from BAHA if they have reduced hearing on one side only or if they have a problem affecting their external or middle ear, which results in poor conduction. These implants are primarily used for patients with mild to moderate hearing loss. The most common type of hearing implant is the bone anchored hearing aid, or BAHA.

How much do you know about the similarities and differences of these assistive devices? This information about both the cochlear implant and the BAHA device can help you understand how they work and who they can help. There are two main types of surgically implanted devices, BAHA and cochlear implants, which work in different ways and are not a fix for every type of hearing loss. Those people may need to go a step further and consider an implant to improve the quality of their hearing. Some people with hearing loss respond well to traditional hearing aids to amplify sound, but others are not so fortunate.
