By: maureen s

maureen s — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:25:00 +0000

I can only guess that you are referring to a Cochlear implant. This works by a device implanted under your skin above your ear with electronic sensors to stimulate the cochlear hairs which carry the sound to be processed by your brain. there is an external microphone to pick up sounds. It is far more technical than this, but this is it in a nutshell. The cochlear implant does not work like a hearing aid which amplifies sound, but attempts to stimulate the natural functioning of the ear as far as possible with electronic help. Some say that the sound is quite mechanical, others think it is fine to at least be able to process speech. It seems to largely depend upon the length of time you have been without hearing.
Sensorineural hearing loss is where the cochlear hairs have been damaged or laid flat, as seems to happen more frequently to older people, but occurs with damage and disease or genetic conditions in younger people. The cochlear implant attempts to reproduce the function of the ear, but as I have said above, this meets with mixed experiences from the people who have undergone this procedure.
I know that their are support chat rooms for people who have had cochlear implants, and you can get advice from people who have had these implants.
Sorry I do not know of the young man from Austria.
My best wishes and hope that this answer helps to some extent.

Comments on: Anyone who had benefited from the latest technology on sensorineural hearing loss?

By: maureen s