What Are Cochlear Implants?
A cochlear implant is a surgically placed device that helps a person with severe hearing loss hear sounds.
The cochlea is a snail-shaped part of the inner ear. It turns sound vibrations into electrical signals that travel along the auditory (hearing) nerve. The brain translates these signals into recognizable sounds.
Cochlear (KOE-klee-er) implants are different from hearing aids:
- A hearing aid makes sounds louder so people with hearing loss can hear.
- Cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of the cochlea to stimulate the auditory nerve directly. They may help when a hearing aid can't.