What Are Cochlear Implants?
Cochlear implants may be your next step, when your hearing aids are not providing enough assistance. Many people start by wearing two hearing aids. However, as hearing loss progresses, you may need something more. To improve your hearing performance and to help you understand more clearly, you may need to consider a solution that helps you hear your best with both ears. For many, a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other ear can provide a richer, more natural hearing experience. This combination is referred to as bimodal hearing.
Signs that Hearing Aids may not be Providing Enough Benefit
With hearing aids, do you:
- Have difficulty hearing conversations, especially with background noise?
- Often ask people to repeat themselves?
- Often misunderstand what people say?
- Have trouble hearing on the telephone?
- Turn up the volume on the TV louder than others in the room prefer?
- Feel people often mumble when they talk?
- Struggle to hear sounds of nature, such as birds chirping or rain falling?
- Find yourself agreeing, smiling, or nodding during conversations when you’re not sure what’s been said?
- Read lips to understand what people are saying?
How do Cochlear Implants Work?
Proud Member of the Cochlear Provider Network
As a member of the Cochlear Provider Network, our Iowa clinics have partnered with Dr. Andrew Liu, MD, PhD to assess and treat those who may be candidates for a hearing implant. At Merit Hearing, we conduct candidacy evaluations to determine if an implant might be right for you. We also support recipients of cochlear implants by meeting their needs for initial activation, interim programming, troubleshooting, upgrades, and equipment orientation.
We can service the Cochlear America’s cochlear implants, BAHA and OSIA devices; as well as Advance Bionic and MedEl cochlear implants. We work with pediatric and adult populations.
Cochlear implant services may vary by location, so please contact your preferred Merit Hearing location for specific details.