DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I wear hearing aids in both ears. My right ear is almost totally deaf. I have a hard time understanding people unless they are very close up.

What do you think of cochlear implants? Would they be helpful? — V.S.

ANSWER: The cochlea is the part of the inner ear that transmits sound to the hearing nerve, which, in turn, takes it to the part of the brain that makes us aware of the sound. Without a functioning cochlea, hearing is impaired to the point it might be totally lost. A cochlear implant is a device that transforms sound into electrical signals and sends those signals through the cochlea to the hearing nerve. It’s a two-part device. The external part consists of a microphone and a speech processor that passes sound to the internal part of the device. That internal part is connected to the hearing nerve through wires passing into the cochlea. Candidates for a cochlear implant are people with severe hearing loss that isn’t benefited by hearing aids. I think these devices are amazing.

The sound heard by a person with such a device is different from normal sound. In weeks to months, the person grows accustomed to it, and its sound becomes more natural to that person. It improves a deaf person’s ability to understand the spoken word.

Make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor and an audiologist who can assess your need of and adaptability to this device.

Cochlear implants for children are a different topic.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing for information on rosacea. In a past column, you gave the telephone number for Rosacea Society as 888-602-5874. I can’t get an answer when I dial that number. Will you please give me the latest treatment for rosacea? — M.N.

ANSWER: The phone number for the National Rosacea Society is 888-NO-BLUSH. Someone must have transposed those letters into the wrong numbers for you. The society provides the latest information on this condition.

Rosacea starts out as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead, or some of those sites. Then acnelike bumps appear on the same patches of skin. Next tiny blood vessels, looking like spider webs, arrive on the scene. And the last stage is a thickening of the skin, which produces a bulbous nose. This stage shouldn’t happen in these days. Underappreciated is eye involvement with rosacea. The eyes feel gritty and burn. They often become red.

Part of treatment is avoidance of the sun. Don’t go outside, winter and summer, without sunblock on your face. Also avoid spicy foods and hot drinks. Medicines for rosacea are many. Some are applied directly to the skin, like MetroGel, MetroCream and Finacea. Oral medicines such as doxycycline are useful for the acne lesions. Lasers can obliterate the spider-web vessels.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have had two fingers with paronychia for more than a year. A dermatologist has prescribed Prevex HC and it has helped somewhat, but there is still swelling and redness around the cuticle of those fingers. I wear rubber gloves for household chores. What causes paronychia, and is there a more effective treatment? — L.T.

ANSWER: You have chronic paronychia. It’s an infection of the skin border that frames the fingernail and toenail. Housewives, cooks, bartenders and people who have their hands constantly in water are the ones who develop this problem. Cotton gloves worn under your rubber gloves afford greater protection. In chronic paronychia, yeasts and bacteria are the culprits. Econazole and clotrimazole creams along with your Prevex HC might turn the tide in your favor. Prevex HC contains hydrocortisone. This product isn’t available in the U.S.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www .rbmamall.com.

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