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Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
I could be a real life Plughead!
My doctor is recommending a
hearing aid that literal snaps on to a plug in my head.
Practically all my life I've been deaf in my
right ear. I'm use to it but sometimes I get frustrated not being able to hear
normal conversations or being able to filter out background noise. Folks with
two good ears take this for granted but I've struggled and learned to just
accept it. I smile and follow along with everyone else's reaction. A long time
ago I learned how irritating I can be asking, "What?" over and over. I've
accepted not being able to hear what I want to
hear.
Today, at the recommendation of my local ENT doctor who removed a cholesteatoma from my right middle ear a year and a half ago, I went to see his son who's also an ENT professional. He told me about the BAHA hearing aid.
I can't wear a regular hearing aid because the cholesteatoma ate away most of my inner ear bones along with the bone between my ear canal and brain. Of the five critical zones in my ear from my brain to my balance center to my jugular, the cholesteatoma had encroached on four. Fortunately, my doctor was able to leave my hearing intact, but had to remove everything between my hearing center and the world. The BAHA is made for people like me.
In a nutshell the BAHA has two parts. The first is a small titanium stud that is surgically inserted into the skull behind the ear. (Why titanium? Read this.) It shows on the scalp as a small snap, similar to the snap on a jacket. The second part of the device is the hearing aid itself that snaps onto the stud. It feeds amplified tones to the stud, which in turn uses the bones in the head to conduct the sound to the inner ear.
My first impression of the device was Plughead from Circuitry Man. Plughead is a futuristic character whose name describes his appearance perfectly. He has a plug for jacking into every interface imaginable. What I'd like to know is if this thing can improve my hearing then can I get an FM tuner? Apparently, yes!
I go next Thursday for a demonstration of the device.
Today, at the recommendation of my local ENT doctor who removed a cholesteatoma from my right middle ear a year and a half ago, I went to see his son who's also an ENT professional. He told me about the BAHA hearing aid.
I can't wear a regular hearing aid because the cholesteatoma ate away most of my inner ear bones along with the bone between my ear canal and brain. Of the five critical zones in my ear from my brain to my balance center to my jugular, the cholesteatoma had encroached on four. Fortunately, my doctor was able to leave my hearing intact, but had to remove everything between my hearing center and the world. The BAHA is made for people like me.
In a nutshell the BAHA has two parts. The first is a small titanium stud that is surgically inserted into the skull behind the ear. (Why titanium? Read this.) It shows on the scalp as a small snap, similar to the snap on a jacket. The second part of the device is the hearing aid itself that snaps onto the stud. It feeds amplified tones to the stud, which in turn uses the bones in the head to conduct the sound to the inner ear.
My first impression of the device was Plughead from Circuitry Man. Plughead is a futuristic character whose name describes his appearance perfectly. He has a plug for jacking into every interface imaginable. What I'd like to know is if this thing can improve my hearing then can I get an FM tuner? Apparently, yes!
I go next Thursday for a demonstration of the device.
Posted: Wed - May 19, 2004 at 10:48 PM