Hearing loss in the population is predomiantly sersorneural in origin and is not usually amenable to either surgical or medical treatment. Thus the disability and handicapping effects can be alleviated by rehabilitation with hearing aids.

Hearing aids are electronic devices designed to detect and then Selectively amplify environmental sounds.

There are many types of hearing aids : Behind the ear, In the ear, In the canal
Eye glass type of hearing aids. Body aids

There are digital (computerized) hearing aids which can detect minor sounds and can be adjusted to any frequency.

Bone conduction hearing aids are used in patients with external or middle ear impainnents with good bone conduction & speech discrimi nation who cannot benefit from conventional hearing aids owing .to congenital malformation, chronic external otitis and in patients who do not want their hearing aids to be visualised, but disadvantage is high cost.

Cochlear implants are used is pt. with profound bilateral SNiil, that cannot be corrected efficiently with the use of hearing aids. They are used is children and adults and in individuals who developed their hearing loss before developing speech or after developing speech but they are not within reach of common man due to high cost.