Final answer:
A cochlear implant is most helpful for those with sensorineural hearing loss, as it bypasses the damaged ear components by stimulating the auditory nerve directly. It is not effective for those with an abnormal auditory nerve but works in cases with damage to the cochlea or middle ear bones, or loss of hair cells in the organ of Corti. Hearing aids are generally used for conductive hearing loss, amplifying sound to assist eardrum vibrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cochlear implant would be most helpful for those who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss involves damage to the sensory cells or nerve fibers in the inner ear, particularly in the cochlea where sound vibrations are converted into neural signals to be sent to the brain. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear by converting sound waves into electrical impulses that directly stimulate the auditory nerve. They are especially beneficial in cases where there is a nonfunctional cochlea, but the auditory nerve remains intact.
Types of hearing loss that are not restored by cochlear implants include:
- Hearing loss resulting from an abnormal auditory nerve since the implant requires a functional nerve to transmit signals to the brain.
However, it can be effective for:
- Hearing loss resulting from absence or loss of hair cells in the organ of Corti.
- Hearing loss resulting from fracture of the cochlea.
- Hearing loss resulting from damage to bones of the middle ear.
Hearing aids might be effective for conductive hearing loss, where problems are associated with the vibration of the eardrum or movement of the ossicles in the middle ear. Hearing aids amplify incoming sound waves to improve the chances of vibrations reaching the cochlea. For sensorineural hearing loss, a cochlear implant is often a viable solution because it directly stimulates the auditory nerve