Not long ago, I worked with Cochlear Implants and found it so fascinating. I had a Zoom call with a woman who had received Cochlear Implants in her 50’s and during the call, I realized just how important hearing is for living a fulfilling life. I guess on some level, I already knew, but to be honest, I hadn’t given it that much thought! While it is true that some people will never hear because it’s just not possible, others choose year after year, for some reason, to put off doing something about their hearing loss. The lady I spoke with talked about how her whole world opened up and the joy in her voice and the sparkle in her eyes spoke volumes about how her life had changed for the better! When the call was over, I was so curious to learn more. Because of this, I was thrilled when Cochlear contacted me again to work with them! After another Zoom call with an audiologist and learning more about the technology of Cochlear, I knew I would become a huge advocate for these implants. This post is simply to educate you about the science of Cochlear and what you can and should do to find out if you’re a candidate. If you don’t have hearing loss yourself, but you know someone who does, please share this post with them because it could, quite literally, change their lives.

According to the National Institutes of Health website, one in every three people 65 years of age and one in every two people 75 years of age and over has hearing loss. On average research finds people with hearing loss wait 10 years to get their hearing loss treated.

That is 10 years of potentially missing all or parts of precious conversations with a spouse, children or grandchildren; struggling to communicate on the phone; missing full appreciation of music; not fully participating in once-loved hobbies and/or avoiding social activities.

What if you missed your grandchild’s first laugh, a son or daughter’s big moment or the ability to hear your spouse’s affection because of your hearing loss? When you live with untreated hearing loss, you may be missing out on areas of your life and not connecting fully with the ones you love. The effect of hearing loss can impact all relationships in a person’s life.

If you or someone you love is showing signs of hearing loss, there are solutions to help treat their hearing loss that are available now. Hearing aids are the first step to treating hearing loss; however, if hearing aids are not providing enough benefit alone, it might be time to consider a cochlear implant.

Hearing aids are different from cochlear implants. For some people using hearing aids with a moderate to profound hearing loss can be like listening to a loud, badly tuned radio. It may be loud enough, but the words are not clear. Cochlear implants are designed to provide clearer sound to help you understand what is being said.

Cochlear now has the Hearing Aid Check, a free online tool that is available to test the performance of hearing aids and is a way to monitor hearing health status from home. This is a non-diagnostic test that can reveal if you should consider options for better hearing. Designed by an independent research body, National Acoustic Laboratories, this simple Hearing Aid Check will compare your performance with hearing aids to people with a cochlear implant.

Designed as a self administered and language independent online tool, the Hearing Aid Check consists of a minimum of 28 sound sets (not beeps or words), and up to 81 sound sets presented in background noise and takes abut 10 - 15 minutes to complete. Two sounds are identical, one is different. The consumer needs to select the sound they believe is different. This is not a diagnostic tool, but a way for consumers to get engaged with their hearing health and get a baseline assessment if further hearing loss intervention beyond just hearing aids could be explored.

I encourage you to visit the site and share the available resources with someone they may know who wears hearing aids and is experiencing hearing loss that has progressed beyond receiving benefit.

Key facts about hearing loss in adults:

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, one in every three people 65 years of age and one in every two people 75years of age and over has hearing loss.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine website, research finds people with hearing loss wait 10 years to get their hearing loss treated.

If a hearing loss has progressed beyond receiving benefit from a hearing aid - when it sounds like listening to a loud, badly tuned radio and the words are not clear anymore, it’s time to consider a different hearing solution like a cochlear implant.

A cochlear implant is an FDA approved, surgically implanted medical device that replaces the function of the inner ear (cochlea) and is designed to mimic natural hearing. Cochlear implants may help adults with hearing loss in both ears who are not receiving enough benefit when using hearing aids.

Cochlear implants are a proven medical treatment option for adults with moderate to profound hearing loss.

A cochlear implant is designed to provide clearer sound to help you understand what is being said especially in noisy environments like conversations in loud restaurants. Struggling to hear and communicate can be stressful if your hearing aids are no longer providing you enough benefit. Cochlear implant technology and innovations today may help you to regain your ability to hear conversations and communicate with family and friends talk on the phone, listen to music, watch and hear the TV, and so much more.

A recent study found 93% of cochlear implant recipients improved speech understanding compared to hearing aids. (read more here)

A recent study found 83% reorted a statisticall significant improvement in quality of life after receiving a cochlear implant.

SIGNS THAT HEARING AIDS MAY NOT BE PROVIDING ENOUGH BENEFIT

With hearing aids, do you:

• Have difficulty hearing conversations, especially with background noise?

• Often ask people to repeat themselves?

• Often misunderstand what people say?

• Have trouble hearing on the telephone?

• Turn up the volume on the TV louder than others in the room prefer?

• Feel people often mumble when they talk?

• Struggle to hear sounds of nature such as birds chirping or rain falling?

• Regularly withdraw from conversations because it’s too difficult to hear?

• Read lips to understand what people are saying?

*The Cochlear Hearing Aid Check is not a diagnostic evaluation and is not intended to replace medical advice. For a complete test or evaluation of your hearing, please consult an audiologist. Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.

As time goes on, I’m sure the technology will only get better and make it easier to hear with Cochlear implants!