Introduction

Hearing Aids are used by people who have some form of hearing loss, that’s why we’re discussing if a deaf person can hear with the use of a hearing aid. The basic idea behind the hearing aid is that it amplifies sounds to a level that a person who has normal hearing is able to hear. If you are suffering from severe hearing loss, consider getting a hearing aid. They may allow you to hear sounds that you never knew existed.

A Brief History of Hearing Aids

Hearing aids have been around since the 19th century when they were developed by a French physician named Paul-Emile Littré. The devices were mostly used for people suffering from mild hearing difficulties who did not need to rely on the device on a daily basis. It was not until many years later that these devices would be developed for use by individuals with severe hearing impairments and needs of everyday living. Nowadays, this type of profound deafness is called “profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. 

What is a Hearing Aid?

There are very few instances where a deaf person has been successful with using a hearing aid. When tested, it was found that the hearing aid was totally inaudible to the individual who had the hearing loss. This means that the person’s brain processed the sound exactly as it would have if it was normal hearing.

It seems that there is no way to make someone with severe deafness to hear with a hearing aid. However, there have been rare instances where some people were able to hear when they wore their devices for extended periods of time. The reason behind this is a lack of understanding about how the device worked for these individuals. A Hearing Aid is an electronic device that helps people who have hearing problems to hear what people around them say more clearly.  It amplifies sound entering the ear canal and directs it to the parts of your ear which can sense sound (the cochlea and the nerve fibers).  Hearing aids come in different styles. Some are worn inside your ear like an earbud, some are worn over your ears like eyeglasses, and some sit on top of your head behind your ears. 

What Is A Cochlear Implant?

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that helps some deaf persons hear. It works by directly stimulating the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged portions of the ear. “Cochlear” means hearing and “implant” means to embed in something, so it’s a hearing device that’s inserted into the ear.  The implant sends sounds to an external processor/transmitter which is worn behind the ear or clipped onto clothing. It also sends signals to an internal receiver/stimulator that is implanted under the skin behind your ear or on top of your head just behind your ears.

Do People Who Are Deaf And Wear Hearing Aids Hear Better Than Those Without Them? 

A person who is deaf will not be able to hear anything because they cannot hear frequencies of sound which is why they need a hearing aid or cochlear implant in order to be able to hear. 

How Do We Know That People Who Are Deaf Cannot Hear With A Hearing Aid?

Researchers conducted tests on deaf participants who had an average hearing loss of 70 decibels and no understanding of spoken language. They were then exposed to different frequencies of sounds and sound levels with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants. They tested the auditory thresholds of the participants and they found that they could not hear any sounds even if they were amplified.

This was further confirmed by the fact that when they examined the brain responses to these sounds, there was nothing being processed because it is impossible for them to hear anything. 

Can a Deaf Person Be Helped By A Cochlear Implant?

They tested this by selecting only 2 out of 5 participants who showed signs of having the potential to hear better through their cochlear implant and gave them more time with their cochlear implant. They also gave them a dictionary where they could write down words when they heard them by using their hearing aid. The researcher found out that participants who were able to hear with the implant knew more words in comparison to those who did not have hearing aids even after a short time with the implant. A person with the implant can hear better and understand more because their damaged ear has been bypassed by the internal microphone/transmitter of the cochlear implant. The sound is then delivered directly to the auditory nerve via electrodes placed in the cochlea. The brain will process this information as it would have if they were able to hear normally.

Can A Deaf Person Hear With A Hearing Aid?

I think it’s very hard to understand people who are deaf since you can’t communicate with them in any way. They might be able to hear better through their cochlear implant but they still can’t understand anything or speak because of the nerve destruction. It doesn’t help that most cochlear implants are today made for adults and don’t work for children until they’re 7 years old. It could be very frustrating for deaf child since they won’t be able to communicate with anyone due to the lack of stimulation of the auditory nerve. 

Can Deaf People Hear Better With A Cochlear Implant?

The cochlear implant is a medical device used to help deaf people hear. It is surgically implanted under the skin behind their ears and can be connected by wires to external electrodes implanted in their ear.  There are two types of implants: the first one is used for children and is inserted when they are young, while adult implants are inserted after surgery when patients are old enough to understand instructions on how to use them.

Conclusion

Humans are able to hear because our ear has a cochlea that is filled with fluid which makes the body vibrate when it is exposed to sound. This fluid also contains special nerves that transfer signals through the auditory nerve to the brain where it can be understood as sounds. The body is designed in such a way that it cannot be repaired once it has been damaged. The nerve fibers are unable to repair themselves once they are dead.  If you have experienced nerve damage, there is no way of fixing it by hearing with a hearing aid or even with a cochlear implant because your hearing will not improve no matter how many devices you try out.