sr171soars
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This thread will highlight the differences between HAs and CIs. This should be helpful for those not as familiar with CIs and it has been a prominent issue lately. More people are familiar with HAs but not as many are personally familiar with CIs.
My background/experience - I have had a HA for many years since 3 years old and worn them for four decades. About a year ago I recently obtained a CI and it was a tremendous success for me.
HA (Assumes a BTE model non digital)
1) Uses one battery - typically lasts one week (at least for me...YMMV)
2) Ampifies sounds to ear
3) Uses a mold for getting amplified sound to ear (get feedback, moisture issues though)
4) Uses natural hearing system
5) Not water resistance (maybe some recent models might provide this feature...I don't know)
6) No surgery required
7) Consists of BTE only
8) A HA can mask tinnitus but never cure it (one will hear it as soon as HA is either off or removed)
9) A HA will provide hearing that is closer to what hearing people hear (Make no mistake...a hearing loss presupposes some difference in either range of sound frequencies or distortion factors in hearing)
10) A HA is only as good as one's hearing at the time (meaning if you have some loss in certain ranges or distortions, a HA can't make up for that)
11) HAs have limited programmable functionality (particularly digitals - it is getting better but nowhere near what CIs can do)
12) People with similar losses can "borrow" another's HA to use (assuming one switches molds)
13) If deaf or nearly so, a HA has no benefit
14) If one decides not to use a HA anymore, they just take it off and put it away
15) There are no instant setting options available to change to the appropriate environment
CI (Cochlear Inc. Freedom)
1) Uses three batteries (P675 types but cochlear implant version - get three days worth because CI is a little computer and has serious power comsumption)
2) Stimulates cochlear nerve
3) No mold required
4) Bypasses outer and middle ear - Goes straight to inner ear...specifically the cochlea and cochlear nerve
5) Is water resistance but not waterproof (it can take sweat, light rain and other such water incidents)
6) Requires surgery for implant portion - nowadays this is an outpatient procedure usally takes less than 3 hours and one is home the same day
7) Consists of BTE and implant (A magnetic transmitter using a FM frequency transmits the electrical impulses from the BTE to the imbedded implant)
8) A CI can sometimes cure tinnitus but it is not a guarantee and never a reason to get a CI (It cured my mild tinnitus) If it doesn't cure it, it has same ability to mask it.
9) A CI at first will sound very different like the robotic or cartoon characters. Over time, it will sound normal as the brain is incredibly "plastic" in its ability to adapt to input. (I can recognize any sound as I heard before with my HA - Actually I'm getting more information and things like thunder are much richer than before)
10) A CI will give a consistent range of sounds (however it is only from almost the lowest possible to up about 11khz - normal hearing is the lowest to about 20khz - not really a problem as all speech is below 11khz and most sounds are as well)
11) CIs are very programmable and provide many possibilities as suitable for any given person (far more than current digitals)
12) Due to nature of specific unique programming of each CI, no one can "borrow" another's CI to use (there is a identification code on every Freedom CI tied to the implant of the individual - this does two things, save the individual from accidently damaging their cochlea when using the wrong CI but also keeps theft down as no one can use it but the individual it is programmed for)
13) To get a CI, one must get no benefit from a HA and being deaf is no barrier to using one
14) If one decides not to use a CI anymore, put the BTE portion away but the implant stays put unless it is surgically removed (not really necessary - mostly a personal preference)
15) The CI have an option to change to one of four programs in an instance as appropriate the environment (I just push a button on the BTE and it beeps the program corresponding to the number it is (i.e, 1 for program 1 which is my normal setting where as 4 is autosentivity for loud environments like traveling in a car with the windows down but still be able to hear the person talking to me)
Umm...I sure there are some others and if there are please kindly point them out.
On a personal note, I have noticed these differences...
I can now hear the higher ranges that I couldn't before (I had no idea that a water faucet can be so loud and higher pitched than I thought it was with my HA). I can depend on my hearing unlike before (somebody will start talking [and I'm paying attention to something else] and I pick it up right then and not to have to say "wait a minute" to get my attention on the person).. I never could do that with my HA except in unusal situations. I'm hearing at a much "louder" level close to what hearing people hear (if a person is speaking softly...it is not a problem for me whereas before I had to ask them to speak up). I can hear around corners and out of sight of person speaking and hear every word (really, really nice). I can hear in the dark whereas before I had to ask people to turn on the light to hear them (this is more useful than you can imagine). Keeping up with a person in a noisy environment isn't so challenging as it was before with a HA. I don't get exhausted from listening so intently putting all my energies into hearing (social settings are fun now for however long they may be). I can use any phone (don't need a special phone) anywhere including cell phones and doing conference calls.
Sorry for the long post but I hope some people find it helpful...
My background/experience - I have had a HA for many years since 3 years old and worn them for four decades. About a year ago I recently obtained a CI and it was a tremendous success for me.
HA (Assumes a BTE model non digital)
1) Uses one battery - typically lasts one week (at least for me...YMMV)
2) Ampifies sounds to ear
3) Uses a mold for getting amplified sound to ear (get feedback, moisture issues though)
4) Uses natural hearing system
5) Not water resistance (maybe some recent models might provide this feature...I don't know)
6) No surgery required
7) Consists of BTE only
8) A HA can mask tinnitus but never cure it (one will hear it as soon as HA is either off or removed)
9) A HA will provide hearing that is closer to what hearing people hear (Make no mistake...a hearing loss presupposes some difference in either range of sound frequencies or distortion factors in hearing)
10) A HA is only as good as one's hearing at the time (meaning if you have some loss in certain ranges or distortions, a HA can't make up for that)
11) HAs have limited programmable functionality (particularly digitals - it is getting better but nowhere near what CIs can do)
12) People with similar losses can "borrow" another's HA to use (assuming one switches molds)
13) If deaf or nearly so, a HA has no benefit
14) If one decides not to use a HA anymore, they just take it off and put it away
15) There are no instant setting options available to change to the appropriate environment
CI (Cochlear Inc. Freedom)
1) Uses three batteries (P675 types but cochlear implant version - get three days worth because CI is a little computer and has serious power comsumption)
2) Stimulates cochlear nerve
3) No mold required
4) Bypasses outer and middle ear - Goes straight to inner ear...specifically the cochlea and cochlear nerve
5) Is water resistance but not waterproof (it can take sweat, light rain and other such water incidents)
6) Requires surgery for implant portion - nowadays this is an outpatient procedure usally takes less than 3 hours and one is home the same day
7) Consists of BTE and implant (A magnetic transmitter using a FM frequency transmits the electrical impulses from the BTE to the imbedded implant)
8) A CI can sometimes cure tinnitus but it is not a guarantee and never a reason to get a CI (It cured my mild tinnitus) If it doesn't cure it, it has same ability to mask it.
9) A CI at first will sound very different like the robotic or cartoon characters. Over time, it will sound normal as the brain is incredibly "plastic" in its ability to adapt to input. (I can recognize any sound as I heard before with my HA - Actually I'm getting more information and things like thunder are much richer than before)
10) A CI will give a consistent range of sounds (however it is only from almost the lowest possible to up about 11khz - normal hearing is the lowest to about 20khz - not really a problem as all speech is below 11khz and most sounds are as well)
11) CIs are very programmable and provide many possibilities as suitable for any given person (far more than current digitals)
12) Due to nature of specific unique programming of each CI, no one can "borrow" another's CI to use (there is a identification code on every Freedom CI tied to the implant of the individual - this does two things, save the individual from accidently damaging their cochlea when using the wrong CI but also keeps theft down as no one can use it but the individual it is programmed for)
13) To get a CI, one must get no benefit from a HA and being deaf is no barrier to using one
14) If one decides not to use a CI anymore, put the BTE portion away but the implant stays put unless it is surgically removed (not really necessary - mostly a personal preference)
15) The CI have an option to change to one of four programs in an instance as appropriate the environment (I just push a button on the BTE and it beeps the program corresponding to the number it is (i.e, 1 for program 1 which is my normal setting where as 4 is autosentivity for loud environments like traveling in a car with the windows down but still be able to hear the person talking to me)
Umm...I sure there are some others and if there are please kindly point them out.
On a personal note, I have noticed these differences...
I can now hear the higher ranges that I couldn't before (I had no idea that a water faucet can be so loud and higher pitched than I thought it was with my HA). I can depend on my hearing unlike before (somebody will start talking [and I'm paying attention to something else] and I pick it up right then and not to have to say "wait a minute" to get my attention on the person).. I never could do that with my HA except in unusal situations. I'm hearing at a much "louder" level close to what hearing people hear (if a person is speaking softly...it is not a problem for me whereas before I had to ask them to speak up). I can hear around corners and out of sight of person speaking and hear every word (really, really nice). I can hear in the dark whereas before I had to ask people to turn on the light to hear them (this is more useful than you can imagine). Keeping up with a person in a noisy environment isn't so challenging as it was before with a HA. I don't get exhausted from listening so intently putting all my energies into hearing (social settings are fun now for however long they may be). I can use any phone (don't need a special phone) anywhere including cell phones and doing conference calls.
Sorry for the long post but I hope some people find it helpful...
