Essay On Cochlear Implant

Some of the things that we should consider before getting a cochlear implant. This is an important subject because 98% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents and these parents do not understand what being Deaf really means. Most of these parents resort to a cochlear implant before fully understanding what the consequences could be. A cochlear implant is a mechanical device that replaces the function of of a damaged ear, generally used for Deaf people. This implant is surgically implanted into the head by the ear to help gain function again. Having a cochlear implant is not like hearing normal it is more of a mechanical sound. It is important to know what it does and how it works before getting one for yourself or your
child. Cochlear implants can have good and bad effects. This is a subject that is Ararely discussed and should be more discussed for more clarification on why or why not someone should get a cochlear implant. There are more bad effects then there are good ones these are the ones that are rarely talked about and should be addressed so that people know he full risks of a cochlear implant.
Facial nerve damage can permanently paralyze the side of the face that the implant is on. Infection of the outer skin. Taste disturbances from your nerve being injured during surgery. Numbness around the ear that has the implant. Not being able to hear at all after getting the implant. Reparative granuloma result of the body rejecting the implant. Meningitis is an infection of the lining surface of the brain. The good effects of the cochlear implants are little. Hearing ranging from normal to none at all. Adults benefit almost immediately. Children improve at a slower pace. Can hear almost all soft to loud sounds. Many understand speech without lipreading. Can talk on a telephone/ watch TV normally. Can hear music and enjoy it. These affects are not guaranteed to all patients that get the cochlear implants. For some patients it wont work at all. Most people will not even consider the consequences there can be from getting a cochlear implant they just want there child to hear them and to "fix" them. You can not fix a Deaf person, they do not need to be fixed. Deaf people are just like us they can do everything we do accept for hear. Would the medical difficulties out way the
benefits? If you have a Deaf child you should learn about what it will be like to raise and teach a Deaf child and learn about their culture. Do not give them a cochlear implant not knowing what being Deaf means and not knowing what the benefits and the risks can be from a cochlear implant. This is an important subject because a lot of deaf children are raised with cochlear implants and never learn what deaf culture is and not knowing what American sign language even is.