A Different Hearing Solution
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A different hearing solution When hearing aids are no longer enough 2 Hearing is one of the senses that connect us to the world. It allows us to interact with people and the world around us. “I would be asked to make a telephone call and I was quite frightened. I didn’t want to sound a fool by misunderstanding.” Charlotte New – Cochlear implant recipient since 2006 3 Losing our hearing is the loss of a lifeline to family, friends, social interaction and work. Things that were easy, like a phone call or dinner table conversation, become difficult and exhausting, even frightening. Unfortunately, if your hearing loss has been gradual, you may not have noticed the gradual decline happening from day to day. As a result, you may be living with poorer hearing than you realise, accepting it as inevitable. If so, you are not alone – many people struggle for years before they seek help. You might also feel that people treat you differently, so that you have become less self-confident or independent than you were before. Perhaps those close to you have noticed that you are more tired or withdrawn and less willing to join in socially. 4 Hearing loss and its debilitating consequences Losing your hearing is worse than simply “not hearing”. loss becomes increasingly prevalent, the condition remains It has a negative impact on your overall life and the lives of under-treated. Like many people, you may not be aware that those around you. The emotional effect can be deeply there are other solutions available. traumatic, leaving you feeling isolated and unable to be Research has shown that proactively managing hearing loss fully part of family, social life and work. has a valuable positive impact on overall health2. There is You are not wrong to feel this way. Deafness is known to even some evidence to suggest that the effective treatment be a significant contributor to not working – unemployment of hearing loss could help delay or slow the onset of dementia amongst those with hearing loss is dramatically higher than and cognitive decline3. By managing your hearing loss the national average and studies also indicate that hearing differently, you could regain your sense of independence and impaired employees receive less pay than their normal feel more confident at work and at home to enjoy a longer, hearing counterparts1. healthier and richer life. If you do feel like this, it’s important to remember you are not alone. Unfortunately, as society gets older and hearing 5 A more fulfilled life You may find that high quality digital hearing aids have helped You may not realise that healthcare systems support and in the past. But what if hearing aids are no longer enough? fund cochlear implants for those who are likely to benefit from them – regardless of age4. Sadly, many people settle Imagine joining a conversation with friends in a busy café, or for poor hearing for as much as ten years before they look hearing your grandchildren talk as they play in a windy park. for an alternative solution5. Some don’t know that cochlear Wouldn’t it be great to pick up the phone with the confidence implants could help them; others wait until their hearing that you will understand the caller, or to join a debate around has deteriorated to profound deafness before considering the meeting table at work? At the end of a busy day, listening an implantable solution. The most common comment to music or watching TV could be a relaxation rather than an from people who have received an implant is that they wish exhausting effort. they had had one sooner. Cochlear implants help you enjoy better quality of life by No-one should struggle with deafness when there is a breaking the wall of silence and re-connecting you to the world solution available. If hearing loss is affecting your life and of sound. Conversations become easier, listening altogether less the lives of those around you, it’s time for a new start. tiring. Getting back your hearing is like getting back your life. “The cochlear implant has boosted my confidence and my family were quick to comment upon the improvement in my speech.” Janet Hinsley – Cochlear implant recipient since 2008 6 With natural hearing, sound waves travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum and three bones in the middle ear to Hearing again vibrate. These vibrations are transferred to the cochlea, causing tiny hair cells to move and produce neural impulses, which are sent along the hearing nerve to the brain, where they are with cochlear interpreted as sound. A hearing aid amplifies the sound waves as they enter the ear, making the sound louder. implants Cochlear implants work differently by transmitting sound to the hearing nerve and bypassing some of the hearing functions which have been lost. The experience is a little different to natural hearing, but your brain quickly adapts to these new kinds of sensations and sound. Is a cochlear implant right for you? Don’t wait until your hearing is completely lost. You could benefit from a cochlear implant sooner than you think. Are any of the following statements true for you? Even with my hearing aid(s): I’ve stopped using the phone because I can’t hear what people say. I need to read the subtitles when I watch TV to be able to understand. I struggle to understand speech, especially in noisy situations or if the voice is unfamiliar. I often fail to hear something important, like the doorbell or a traffic siren. I prefer to have a hearing friend or relative with me when I go out in case I need help. If you identify with any of the above statements, you could be a suitable candidate for a cochlear implant. We recommend you ask your clinic for more information and a full assessment. Finding out all the available options is the first step. 7 Why now? Cochlear implant technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, now offering better hearing than ever before. They are carefully designed to protect and preserve any residual hearing. They are easy to use and adaptable even in difficult listening situations. As you get used to your cochlear implant, you can again be part of the conversation in social situations and at work, watch TV, talk easily on the phone, listen to music and simply enjoy the sounds of the world around you. 8 What is it really like? The best way to describe the positive impact of cochlear implants is in the words of someone who has experienced it personally. Perhaps some of these experiences are similar to your own. JANET HINSLEY Cause of hearing loss: Deteriorating loss I wore a hearing aid from age 15, attended mainstream school first time in years I could hear speech without the constant and went on to become a teacher. However, my career strain of having to lip read. was short-lived, as my hearing had deteriorated and I found The cochlear implant has brought me clarity and sheer quality the classroom situation too stressful. I finally progressed of sound far beyond what any hearing aid could give and to wearing two digital hearing aids and became totally reliant has boosted my confidence no end. My family were quick to upon lip reading to supplement the sounds of speech. comment upon the improvement in my speech. Ten years The impact of the cochlear implant on my life ago, I had stopped listening to the radio and using the I was offered a cochlear implant when I was 49. For me, the telephone. Now I follow radio programmes with ease and results were very immediate and after the first “switch on” even hear the traffic announcements. I can even use a mobile I was re-hearing sounds that I had lost, such as the bubbling phone which is a wonderful new experience for me. of boiling water and the rustle of newspaper pages. For the 9 CHARLOTTE NEW Cause of hearing loss: Profound hearing loss at birth For most of my adult life, I relied on lip reading. At work, it was The impact of the cochlear implant on my life tough to get used to everyone’s lip reading pattern. I would After my switch on, it was unbelievable. I had to learn always come home exhausted and I hated wearing my hearing sounds I’d never heard before. They were very loud at first, aids. Although they were loud enough, everything sounded very but the sharpness eased off as my brain got used to the distorted. By the end of the day, I was relieved to take them out. sounds. Now I find lip-reading easier, and I’m not so tired in the evenings. Choosing to have a cochlear implant was I was encouraged to seek a cochlear implant referral from my the greatest decision of my life. I have made new friends Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I never expected that my and my life has just begun to take off. Buying an iPod was assessment for an implant would be so short, and 9 months later a big thing for me, as I had never heard music properly. I received funding for an implant. I was implanted in July 2008. I now love to listen to music. It was incredibly quick and straightforward. It didn’t take me long to get back on my feet and I was home the next morning. 10 DAVID WALTON Cause of hearing loss: Progressive I was born with perfect hearing.