Is it necessary to have CI operation on one ear?

[Liebling:-)))]

Is it necassary to have CI operation on one ear?

I returned to work after 4 weeks leave last month to learn that one of my co-worker Petra lost her hearing to deaf on one ear suddenly. She work for Emergency Service, which it´s impossible for her because of phone communcation so they send her to home as sick leave until they find right work place for her.

That´s what I know the side from my co-workers:
The doctors told Petra that it´s risk to have an operation because she lose only hearing to deaf on one ear instead of both ears due her body balance problem. They didnt know an exactly why the doctor didn´t recommend Petra to have an operation. She has to training to straight her body balance & take her hearing loss on her side to other side “hearing” ear. Her brain also has to work to straight her balance, too. My co-workers told me that Petra walk like “drunk”.. What a strange story because I never heard in my life that somebody who lost hearing to deaf have the problem with body balance. ?
Petra was search the information over CI & want my advice but I was on 4 week leave at that time. I told my co-workers that I can´t image that doctor would not operate her because of that “brain balance risk”. I never heard about this in my life.
I would rather to see Petra as person to listen on her side when she´s back from sick leave.

I would be appreciate for your feedback/opinion/discussion either CI is good advantage to operate on her one deaf ear or not, then I can forward your information to help her.

Is CI operation suitable for only both deaf ears?

 

[VamPyroX]

I don't really think that people should be using CIs just to fix something. How can she know if the hearing loss is permanent or not?

 

[coloravalanche]

I don't really think that people should be using CIs just to fix something. How can she know if the hearing loss is permanent or not?

true...but its people's choices..we cant make their decision for them

my choice is to get CIs on my right hearing...bez I wear hearingaids all my life...not used to it losing more hearing...it scarres me...

its not that i dont accept my deafness...its part of job...part of my life to hear things...i want to hear things..bez i wore hearing aids all my life..that is different...

smile,..i studied about CIs its not bad thing...it just helps u to hear more...try to be open mind about it..

I dont believe its for everyone...only for people like me who can hear and talk...I cant hear without hearing aids..but when i put on..i can...soo

 

[deafdyke]

Is CI operation suitable for only both deaf ears?

Well, from what I know nobody (yet) is eligiable for the CI if they only have loss in one ear. Not even in the US, and the US has very libral implant canidacy requirements. I recall also that aiding unilateral losses is still kinda controversial b/c the person already has "one good ear" B/c you have socialized healthcare in Germany, it may be impossible for your friend to receive public funding towards a device. There are options thou if she does want to pursue amplification. One is a CROS aid, which is a system that routes hearing from the "deaf" side to the hearing side. Let me see if I can't find some links for you. There is also something called a BAHA.(Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) It's mostly used for bone conduction hearing probs (like I have) but has been approved for treatment of single sided deafness as a better alternative to CROS aids.

 

[deafdyke]

http://www.abledata.com/text2/NIRE/Deaf-in-One-Ear.htm
Here's an article on unilateral hearing I found. Levonian may be able to help a little more since this is his area of expertise.

 

[CatoCooper13]

As far as I am aware -- the CI's are given to people who are eligible for one...those with a profound hearing loss. I would reckon in both ears in order to be eligible for a CI.
But I assume it won't hurt to ask around and see what pans out from the enquiries.

 

[Levonian]

Well, from what I know nobody (yet) is eligiable for the CI if they only have loss in one ear.

Well, I’ve always been a little bit puzzled by this ‘candidacy’ thing. I’ve heard people say over and over and over again that the basic requirement is essentially profound deafness in both ears. But what I think this really means is that this is the basic requirement if you want somebody else to pay for it. If you are willing to pay for the whole thing yourself, I see absolutely no reason why you would be turned down for implantation. Take myself, for example. I have normal hearing in my left ear, and I am profoundly deaf in my right. Three representatives of the Cochlear Corporation were aggressively trying to sell me a CI at Deaf Expo 2002. When I asked them if I was eligible, they looked at me as if they didn’t understand what I was talking about. They said that of course I was eligible—my money is just as green as everybody else’s. So if I’m willing to take out a second on the house, there’s no reason why I can’t just walk into the House Ear Institute tomorrow and start the paperwork. But if I want the Feds or my insurance carrier to pay for it, I’m shit out of luck.

It is something that I am seriously considering. But I think I’ll wait a few years until I have a little bit more money, and the technology has progressed to the point where everything is internal except the BTE. Having single-sided deafness is more of a pain in the ass than most people realize, and it would be nice to have at least partial bilateral hearing. Also, my wife is profoundly deaf and has already been implanted. It would be beneficial to our relationship if I understood her world a little better. Not to mention the fact that I just luuurve tech toys.

 

[TiaraPrincess]

I think one must meet and research CI before saying anything negative about it because you will see that it works for many and it can fail for some. You might be more open minded about this when you do so. I think CI is a complete choice for parent of deaf children and deaf adults. I don't think it's anyone's business to give advices whether they should get it or not. You don't know how it will work out for them. The only thing you can do is tell them how it has worked for you and some of your friends. It's not helpful if you tell them that it failed for all your CI friends because you may be the ones that happen to meet the ones that failed or don't care.

I was told it was bad until I did the research myself. How terrible to receive advices that are misleading.

 

[Opal]

The doctors told Petra that it´s risk to have an operation because she lose only hearing to deaf on one ear instead of both ears due her body balance problem. They didnt know an exactly why the doctor didn´t recommend Petra to have an operation. She has to training to straight her body balance & take her hearing loss on her side to other side “hearing” ear. Her brain also has to work to straight her balance, too. My co-workers told me that Petra walk like “drunk”.. What a strange story because I never heard in my life that somebody who lost hearing to deaf have the problem with body balance. ?
Petra was search the information over CI & want my advice but I was on 4 week leave at that time. I told my co-workers that I can´t image that doctor would not operate her because of that “brain balance risk”. I never heard about this in my life.

Yes, it is true deaf people has poor body balance, especially at night, you walk like a drunk, you can't feel, but others will observant you, - Sad but true.

Some part of USA, they carry a driving licence with a special code on it so the police will know about balance problem because of their hearing loss.

Like a bird with no tail!

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I think one must meet and research CI before saying anything negative about it because you will see that it works for many and it can fail for some. You might be more open minded about this when you do so. I think CI is a complete choice for parent of deaf children and deaf adults. I don't think it's anyone's business to give advices whether they should get it or not. You don't know how it will work out for them. The only thing you can do is tell them how it has worked for you and some of your friends. It's not helpful if you tell them that it failed for all your CI friends because you may be the ones that happen to meet the ones that failed or don't care.

I was told it was bad until I did the research myself. How terrible to receive advices that are misleading.

I had the feeling that you misread my post. It's my friend, I'm talking about.

I would not bring negative information to her but exactly information with link. I need to know if anyone who had the experience like my friend. I beleive that she need positive information to help her own decision. I'm very grateful what I got an interesting information/link from helpful members at other forums.

Do you want to say that I bring negative post to here?
Do you want to say that I'm closed minded when CI comes?
Would you give your friends feedback to help their decision?


It's my friend, I'm talking about! I collect the feedback & link from you all to help my friend's decision. She's old enough to decide what she doing right or not.

Everyone, thank you for feedback with interesting link. I'll forward your link to my friend when she is back from sick leave. As far as I know she is searching for CI information since the doctor told her that it's impossible to have an operation

:topic:

I think CI is a complete choice for parent of deaf children and deaf adults.

I'm disagree because it's CHILD's choice, not parent.
Remember that the children are not doll you can wear what you want.
Remember that the children are human like an adult.

.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

true...but its people's choices..we cant make their decision for them

my choice is to get CIs on my right hearing...bez I wear hearingaids all my life...not used to it losing more hearing...it scarres me...

its not that i dont accept my deafness...its part of job...part of my life to hear things...i want to hear things..bez i wore hearing aids all my life..that is different...

smile,..i studied about CIs its not bad thing...it just helps u to hear more...try to be open mind about it..

I dont believe its for everyone...only for people like me who can hear and talk...I cant hear without hearing aids..but when i put on..i can...soo

I think you also misread my post. Please read my respond on TiaraPrincess.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I don't really think that people should be using CIs just to fix something. How can she know if the hearing loss is permanent or not?

She is total deaf on only ear! The nerve in her one ear is dead. She received the result from doctor that she's total deaf on her ear because the nerve on her one ear is dead.

She is determined to have an operation to make hear again but the doctor told her that it's impossible. I just learn from my co-worker today that the doctor's opinion that she should wear hearing aid (ear mould) to improve her balance problem.

She asked me for advice but I was not in the office at that time. (4 weeks leave annual). I thought it would be good idea to forward any information, also link from any forums to help her decision.

 

[coloravalanche]

Yes, it is true deaf people has poor body balance, especially at night, you walk like a drunk, you can't feel, but others will observant you, - Sad but true.

Some part of USA, they carry a driving licence with a special code on it so the police will know about balance problem because of their hearing loss.

Like a bird with no tail!

Are you saying that we walk funny at night?? I didnt realized that...wow thats interesting! and I also didnt know the police has special code...wow!

how did you discover that?

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Yeah, I thought the same, coloravalanche! Interesting... I'll searching about this.

I did asked my co-worker either she notice my balance problem or not. She said no.

She said that deaf since birth don't have one but hearing.

Hearing people who lost their hearing to deaf on both ears or one ear have the balance problem.

 

[WBHarley]

Are you saying that we walk funny at night?? I didnt realized that...wow thats interesting! and I also didnt know the police has special code...wow!

how did you discover that?

yes it is true..

one of my friend I though he was drunk ? I was confused because we all were bowling then straight to the halloween party impossible to get drunk that fast wi thin 30 min ? lol soo I said did you drink in car ??? he said no.. then he explained i was like wow.. i could tell the different during day and night.. not funny.. but he got used to it


Wendy

 

[Levonian]

Well, I’ve always been a little bit puzzled by this ‘candidacy’ thing. I’ve heard people say over and over and over again that the basic requirement is essentially profound deafness in both ears.

OK—I finally got a concrete answer to this question. Yesterday I talked to some folks from the Cochlear Corporation at Deaf Expo 2004. One of them was one of the people that I talked to 2 years ago. She didn’t remember me, and I didn’t tell her that we had already met. I asked the same question. This time, one of them was a little bit more knowledgeable about the subject. He told me that the FDA has not approved the CI for the treatment of single-sided deafness, and that there was no way I could legally get a CI in the United States, regardless of who paid for it. The only currently available treatments for SSD in the United States are the CROS HA and the BAHA device.

 

[ravensteve1961]

I don't really think that people should be using CIs just to fix something. How can she know if the hearing loss is permanent or not?

If youre hearing doesnt return to normal in 6 months its more likely permanent.

 

[Mc Gusto]

Why do you need c.i. if you have got total hearing in one ear ? That's just crap, 1 ear with full hearing should be suffient .i used to have very good hearing in one ear not perfect though and zero hearing in the other and i never had a problem

 

[hanabithief]

getting a ci is a little extreme for only one side loss.....has she tried hearing aids yet.

also, if it is really messing up her balance bad, and if it was really sudden for no apparent reason ar all, she needs to see a specialist. it is not normal for healthy people to loose their heaing. she may need medical treatment for something else even if she feels okay. since she was workign in a medical setting, she could have contracted some disease or something. or it could be genetic....but still that's not good. i had a friend who lost her heaing over the period of about a week. it took them about a year to figure out she had MS. i'm not saying your friend has MS or anything, but the cause needs to be looked at before worrying about ci s or anything like that.

 

[Cjanik]

when i was 4 years old and got menengitis and lost my hearing....i couldnt walk either.
the doctor gave me a board with wheels on it so i could sit on it and roll around with my feet until i learned how to walk again.

the difference is that your ears have liquid in them which helps your brain know when you are standing on flat grounds or not. thats why you get dizzy when you spin in a chair...because the liquid in both ears are facing opposite directions and your brain goes nuts. but you could spin me in a chair for 5 hours and i can get up and walk away like nothing happened...i wont get dizzy.

if you lose your nerves in your ear (thus become profound deaf), then the liquid in your ears can not be observed by the brain and therefore it doesnt know how to walk based on that liquid anymore. It has to find a new way to stay balanced.

I dont walk like im drunk...i base gravity and eyesight on staying level subcautiously. which means i dont even think about staying level...my body does it for me, just like any hearing person's body does it for them. if i close my eye's while walking on grass...i'll fall. simply because i cant use gravity alone because the dirt under the grass is uneven. however on pavement i can walk with my eyes closed just fine. because the gravity allows me to feel if im flat on the ground.

so to answer the question....
no
I dont walk like im drunk unless im actaully drunk! I dont walk funny at night, I dont do anything out of the ordinary that grabs attention from walking. I walk just like any other, except i use different methods to stay balanced.