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Deafness and Cochlear Implants

Deafness is the partial or profound inability to hear. Congenital deafness occurs at birth while acquired or adventitious deafness occurs later in life. There are two types of deafness: nerve and conductive deafness. Conductive deafness occurs when the middle ear is affected or infected. The structure of the middle ear constitutes of three bones namely, incus, malleus, and stapes, which amplify the eardrum movement in response to sound waves. Conductive deafness occurs when the three bones fail to impart sound to the inner ear or when the eardrum fails to vibrate due to fluid build-up in the ear canal. Nerve deafness occurs when the cochlear nerve is affected by events such as trauma or disease. Electrical impulses do not reach the brain due to cochlear failure or a brain problem leading to lack of message translation from the cochlear nerve. In most instances, conductive deafness is treatable unlike nerve deafness, which does not respond to treatment.

Temporary deafness, which is treatable, is caused by various factors. Accumulation of wax and excess mucus in the ear canal causes a blockage of the Eustachian tube that deters hearing. Foreign substances such as an ear bud tip also cause temporary hearing when the ear canal is blocked. Middle and outer ear infections also lead to hearing loss because pus and fluid interrupt the normal transmission of sound waves. Some drugs such as chloroquine and aminoglycosides also cause hearing loss in susceptible individuals. Permanent deafness is also caused by various factors. Genetic and hereditary disorders are the leading cause of permanent deafness. Defective genes are passed on from the parent to the children at birth. A malformation in the inner ear and genetic disorders such as multiple lentigines syndrome and osteogenesis imperfecta are some of the factors that cause deafness. Prenatal exposure to certain diseases such as mumps, rubella, and influenza, and exposure to methyl mercury and quinine cause congenital deafness. Other diseases such as chickenpox, cytomegalovirus, Meniere’s disease, and meningitis also predispose an individual to deafness. Exposure to loud noises such as explosives, firecrackers, and gunshots cause damage to the delicate organs in the ear causing deafness. Traumatic events such as skull injury, eardrum perforation and changes in the air pressure also cause deafness. Old age is also a contributing factor to deafness, although it is on rare occasions (State Government of Victoria Web).

Cochlear implants are prosthetic, electronic devices that replace damaged cochlear to enable hearing. The device consists of various parts with the external part located outside the ear while the implant is placed surgically inside the ear. The external component consists of various parts which include the microphone, speech processor, transmitter and stimulator, and an electrode array. The microphone enables the device to pick up sound waves; the speech processor sorts out and arranges the waves picked by the microphone; the stimulator and transmitter convert the sound waves into electric stimuli, and the electrode array gathers stimuli from the transmitter and disseminates them to the auditory nerves (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Web). Deaf or hard-of-hearing adults and children more than one year old can be fitted with a cochlear implant. The device replaces the function of the damaged part of the ear and transmits sound waves directly to the auditory nerve. The implants work by generating signals that are directed to the brain through the auditory nerve for recognition and interpretation as sound. The implants have benefits such as enabling hearing better than with a hearing aid, focusing better in a noisy environment, talking and hearing better during phone conversations, enjoying music, and reconnecting with lost sounds. Although the device enhances hearing, the hearing is different from the normal one and it takes time before one learns or relearns how to hear using the device. I support cochlear implants because of their numerous benefits, as opposed to their setbacks.

I would recommend a cochlear implant for a child with congenital deafness in order to assist the child to hear. However, I would have to consider various factors such as the severity of the deafness and failure of alternative methods such as a hearing aid. The implantation is a surgical procedure and careful evaluation needs to be done before the surgery. I would also take precaution to ensure that the implant would be of utmost benefit to the child by conducting various tests and evaluation procedures such as CT scan, X-ray, audiological and ontological evaluations. The procedure is also a costly venture; thus, careful evaluation is essential before settling for it. Therefore, considering it as a way to aid hearing should be a last resort when all other means have failed.

Deafness could either be temporary or profound caused by different factors such as disease, injury, or could be a genetic disorder. Temporary deafness could be treated, but profound or severe deafness is irreversible and can only be rectified using hearing aids or cochlear implants. Cochlear implants serve the purpose of replacing the damaged part of the ear and transmitting sound waves directly to the brain for interpretation. Since the implants are inserted surgically into the ear, they should be the last resort since the procedure is quite costly to pursue and delicate. However, they have proved effective in enhancing hearing in deaf patients (National Dissemination Centre for Children with Disabilities Web).

Works Cited

National Dissemination Centre for Children with Disabilities. Deafness and Hearing Loss. July 2013. Web. 27 April 2014.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Cochlear Implants. 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 April 2014.

State Government of Victoria. Deafness – A Range of Causes. 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 April 2014.