Bone conductive hearing aids

A bone conductive hearing aid is designed for those who for one reason or another cannot wear the traditional style hearing aid.

How the conventional hearing aid works

The difference between this type and the conventional type is that the conventional type will normally fit into the ear canal and works by delivering sounds through a process known as air conduction. This is achieved by sounds passing through the ear canal to the ear drum which then vibrates, this is what the term air conduction means.

Vibrations are then passed onto three small bones in the middle ear which in turn carries them to the cochlea, fluid that surrounds the cochlea then affects the tiny hair cells that run along the length of the cochlea which generates signals in the auditory nerve. The signals that travel along the nerve go to the brain and the brain interprets them as the sound we hear.

How the bone conductive hearing aid works

The bone conductive hearing aid still amplifies sound but the sound is not passed into the ear canal, instead the sound is carried through the bone in the skull, this process is called bone conduction and is where the hearing aid gets its name from.

In order to hear the sounds are sent directly from the vibrating part of the bone conduction hearing aid through the bone in the skull straight to the cochlea totally bypassing the outer and middle ear. This method is not as good as hearing through air conduction but they are a great option for people who can’t use a traditional hearing aid.

Who can benefit from a bone conductive hearing aid?

Sometimes people can’t wear a conventional hearing aid for reasons such as having ear infections on a regular basis or they have eczema, their ear canal may be small or they have problems with their ear canal. A bone conductive hearing aid is more suitable for these types of people, the hearing aid is also more suited to people who suffer from conductive hearing loss.

How is this type of hearing aid worn?

There are two main parts to this type of hearing aid with one part being worn on the body and the other part being the actual bone conductor fitted to a removable headband and this holds the conductive part closely to your head. Due to the tightness of them however then can become uncomfortable and can cause headaches and soreness of the skin due to the tightness.