Treatment of Hearing impairment

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The treatment of hearing impairment will depend very much on the underlying cause; however, the majority of people with hearing impairment find that it is a permanent condition.

There are a number of methods that can be used to enable people with hearing impairments to have an improved quality of life.

Hearing aids

Hearing aids are for people with impaired hearing. They are not a cure as such but increase the volume of sound entering the ear so that people can hear better. They are not suitable for everyone and may not be effective for people with profound hearing loss. It is important that people using hearing aids continue to receive advice and support about assistive hearing devices after they receive their aids, to ensure that their specific needs are being met. Hearing aids are electronic devices made up of a microphone, an amplifier, a loudspeaker and a battery. Modern hearing aids are very small and discreet and can be worn inside the ear. The microphone picks up sound, which is made louder by the amplifier. Hearing aids are fitted with devices that can distinguish between background noise (such as traffic) and foreground noise (such as conversation).

Both analogue and digital hearing aids are now commonly used in the UK, although most aids prescribed through the NHS are now digital. The functions and designs of each device differ according to the needs of the user. After having your hearing tested at the audiology department of a hospital, a technician will take a mould of your ear so that the hearing aid can be fitted perfectly.

There are four different types of hearing aids available though the NHS:

ITE - In the ear devices that sit inside the outer ear.
BTE - Behind the ear devices that sit behind the outer ear and against the head.
BW - Body worn devices, earphones attached to small boxes that clip to the clothes.
Bone conduction aids - similar to the body worn devices in appearance, but the conductor is attached to a headband and held against the bone behind the ear (mastoid).

Cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are used by people with profound deafness. They are made up of two parts, an external sound processor and internal electrodes. Sound is converted to signals by the processor and transmitted to the auditory nerves by the electrodes. This means that cochlear implants are only suitable for people whose hearing nerves are functional.

The implant is inserted during an operation and switched on a couple of weeks later. Implants may be suitable for both adults and children who have not had any success with other hearing aids.

The external part of the implant is worn like a traditional hearing aid, either behind the ear or clipped to the clothes.

BSL

The ability to communicate is very important and loss of hearing can affect your speech as well as your ability to understand other people. Many people with hearing impairments learn to communicate in other ways apart from spoken English. For people who have experienced hearing loss at a later age, lip-reading (watching a personâ€™s mouth movements to understand what they are saying) is a very useful tool.

For people who are born with hearing impairments, it is more difficult to learn to lip-read. People in this situation often learn a sign language such as BSL (British Sign Language), a form of communication using hand movements and facial expressions to convey meaning. BSL is completely different from spoken English and has itâ€™s own grammar and syntax. Other types of sign language are Signed English and Paget Gorman Signed Speech.