How Hearing Aids Work Through Bone Conduction ?

Answer 1

Bone-anchored hearing aids are made to work on what is known as bone conduction, which transmits sound from the person's inner ear through the skull bones. This kind of hearing aid is often used by people who have experienced types of hearing loss that does not allow them to hear using the more common forms of hearing aids.

Hearing loss that is known as conductive occurs when people have problems processing sound waves along the ear canal. It is one type of hearing loss for which bone conduction is an option for hearing devices. Bone-anchored hearing aids are also helpful for people who have suffered unilateral hearing loss, or hearing loss in one ear.

The bone-anchored hearing aid involves surgical implantation of a device into the patient's skull, with a small post visible on the outside of the skin. A sound processing device is placed on this post, which allows for sound to travel through the bones of the skull and vibrate the patient's inner ear. Once the inner ear is vibrating, hearing can take place.

The hearing aid is known as 'bone-anchored' because the surrounding bone grows around the implant without a soft tissue layer in a process known as osseointegration. Osseointegration can take several months to complete, but once it has, the bone-anchored hearing aid can be used.

The surgery to perform the implantation process has typically been risky. Advancements in the surgery have been made, however, allowing for smaller incisions and less invasive procedures. Currently many patients are able to complete their surgery in a few hours under local anesthesia. For children or infants who need the procedure, physicians will usually perform it in two stages, one in which they drill the holes into the skull behind the ear, then allow the skull to grow and for osseointegration to occur, and perform a second surgery in which the implant is made.

The aftermath for the patient in receiving a bone-anchored hearing aid has been the constant risk of infection. Patients with bone-anchored hearing aids must be sure to keep the skin around their implant clean, and to apply antibacterial ointment every day.

Unfortunately, many of the bone-anchored hearing aid sound devices are fragile, and anyone who has one should be careful not to break or damage it. In the event that this happens, however, the companies that manufacture them have a warranty and replacement policy. The patient's audiologist may have devices that can be loaned until the repair or replacement is complete.

Answer 2

Hearing aids that work through bone conduction bypass the outer and middle ear, instead transferring sound vibrations directly to the inner ear through the skull bone. A transducer converts sound waves into vibrations, which are conducted through the bone to the cochlea, allowing individuals with certain types of hearing loss to perceive sound. This can be beneficial for those with conductive hearing loss or other conditions that affect the outer or middle ear.