If you’re new to the world of hearing aids, you may be wondering about the difference between a cochlear implant and a bone anchored hearing aid and whether or not a cochlear BAHA and a cochlear implant are the same thing.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at what the different terms mean and answer the question, “What is a cochlear implant headband?”
Are Cochlear BAHA and Cochlear Implant the Same Thing?
The short answer to this is, no, they’re not. BAHA stands for bone-anchored hearing aid and a cochlear implant is different to a BAHA in some crucial ways.
Differences Between a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid and a Cochlear Implant
- A BAHA uses bone conduction to improve hearing by sending signals to the inner ear, bypassing both the external ear and ear canal. A cochlear implant works by sending signals directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing not only the external and middle ear but also the cochlea/inner ear too.
- BAHAs are most often used by those with mild to moderate hearing loss, whereas a cochlear implant is more suitable for those with profound hearing loss.
- Most people with a cochlear implant will require therapeutic input following the surgery to help them make sense of the new sounds and sensations from their implant and get the most out of it.
- Whilst a BAHA can be surgically implanted or worn on a headband, a cochlear implant, as the name suggests, is always surgically fitted.
Despite their differences, there are several similarities between a BAHA and a Cochlear Implant. They both help with hearing loss, they both bypass the outer and middle ear and they can both be used by people of all ages, from tiny babies through to fully-grown adults.
The confusion between the two often arises because there is also such a thing as a Cochlear BAHA. A Cochlear BAHA is one type of bone conduction hearing system. Other types you may hear about include Oticon Ponto, Medel Adhear and BHM Contact Mini.
A Cochlear BAHA, is, like all other types of BAHA, a bone-anchored hearing system and though it has Cochlear in the name, this doesn’t make it a cochlear implant. A Cochlear BAHA uses bone conduction to improve hearing, and it can either be surgically implanted or worn on a headband.
Can You Wear a Cochlear Implant on a Headband?
As the name suggests, a cochlear implant is surgically implanted and doesn’t require the person to wear a headband to keep it in place. However, a headband can be used alongside a cochlear implant to help keep the processor secure. This is entirely optional but can be particularly useful for babies and very young children, the newly implanted who may still be getting used to their cochlear implant or when a person is taking part in sports or other vigorous activities. A cochlear implant headband uses pockets and loops to help keep the processors in place to support hearing and speech and language development.
A Cochlear BAHA, on the other hand, can either be surgically implanted – after which, the use of a headband isn’t necessary – or alternatively, a Cochlear BAHA Start is available, which can be worn on a headband (also known as a softband). This is specifically designed for those who aren’t yet old enough or ready for surgery or have decided against it. It’s also a great way to test out a bone-anchored hearing aid to find out if it works for you before committing to surgery.
If you or your child wears an external BAHA, such as a Cochlear BAHA Start, this will always require a headband or softband to keep the processor in place.
Cochlear BAHA Softbands
You can buy replacement or spare headbands or softbands from your BAHA manufacturer and this is also true of the Cochlear BAHA, however, you may find that they are prohibitively expensive, particularly if you find yourself often needing to replace lost or damaged softbands.
You will also find that there is a limited range of colours available and that the supplied headbands from the manufacturer are not necessarily the most comfortable option, particularly since many are ‘one size fits all.’
Alternatively, you can have a headband custom-made for your Cochlear BAHA, and this is what we at BAHA Accessories do for our customers. The benefits of a custom-made BAHA softband include:
- A limitless choice of different colours and designs
- Headbands are available in standard width or our new wide headbands, specifically designed for use with the BHM Contact Mini.
- Our softbands are fully adjustable for the perfect fit
- Headbands can be unilateral or bilateral
- All our full headbands come with a safety line anchor as standard
If you’re purchasing a new Cochlear BAHA softband from us for the first time, you’ll need to make a one-off purchase of a block button connector that enables your BAHA processor to be connected to the band. However, this can then be used interchangeably with any of our bands, which means you can switch your BAHA processor between your different softbands quickly and easily to suit your mood, outfit or occasion!
Get In Touch
We hope this blog has helped to explain what a cochlear implant headband is. You can find out more about bone-anchored hearing aid accessories over on our BAHA Accessories blog, where you’ll find answers to many frequently asked questions.
We’d also be more than happy to talk you through any of our products and how they work so you can be sure that they’re the right choice for you. Simply drop us an email at sales@bahaaccessoriesuk.com or call us on 07432 620644. You can also get in touch using our online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!