DEVICES FOR THE HEARING-IMPAIRED

Hearing loss can result in significant communicative and social dysfunction. Various methods of sound amplification are available for the hearing impaired. Hearing aids are becoming more technologically sophisticated, more cosmetically appealing and more commonly used. The choice of hearing aid must be individualized and depends on several factors, including the type of hearing loss, the cost of the device, the patient's work environment, motivation and vanity, and the degree of difficulty in using the hearing aid. Devices are also available to help hearing-impaired persons in specific situations where hearing aids may not be necessary. The cochlear implant is a relatively new device for use in the profoundly hearing impaired.