Unlike conductive hearing loss, which affects the middle ear’s sound transmission, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects the inner ear. Tiny hair cells, called cilia, vibrate in response to sound waves, sending signals from the hearing nerve to the brain. Damage to these hair cells, often from aging, noise exposure, or genetic factors, can lead to … Continued
Step 1: Diagnosis and the Battle with a Cholesteatoma My journey into the world of hearing loss began when I was just a 5-year-old kid. Imagine the shock of being diagnosed with something called cholesteatoma—an unfamiliar word that forever changed my life. It wasn’t an everyday health issue; it was a relentless intruder, like an … Continued
Scot experienced gradual hearing loss that resulted in missing many conversations with his loved ones around the dinner table. He felt isolated and embarrassed until his wife, Chris, encouraged him to look into Cochlear. With his cochlear implant, Scot now hears more than he has in 15 years. “We were coming down the road and … Continued
Renowned motivational speaker and author Chekesha “Kay” Ellis confronted a life-altering experience 14 years ago when she lost her hearing due to an opioid addiction. Since then, she has fearlessly shared her compelling journey of recovery and the profound impact of the Cochlear™ Kanso® Sound Processor. Through her unwavering determination, Ellis has not only transformed … Continued
“My name is Mia and I was born with bilateral profound deafness. In the 1990s, hearing tests were not a standard part of the newborn screening, so my deafness went undiagnosed until I was 15 months old (after seeing multiple doctors). After much thought and consideration by my parents, it was decided that I would … Continued
“Almost two years ago, our worlds were forever changed. My husband, Matt and I, were busy planning our soon to be three-year-old daughter’s birthday party at a local waterpark. We watched her jump and cheer, as her face was full of joy knowing her special day was coming up. She danced in a circle smiling … Continued
A cherished hobby slips away When asked about his values growing up, Mike, a Cochlear™ Nucleus® 7 recipient, answered simply. “Kindness, fairness, family, friends.” Mike grew up surrounded by family and noted that the excitement of a big household brought love and fun to his life. Connection is one of the most important things to … Continued
The I Love You’s That Fused My Two Halves “Akin to individuals of complex identities, I struggled between two worlds, two languages, two lifestyles and two desires. There were two entirely different lives that never fused, two parts of a whole; two parts of me that I struggled to balance and embrace. Until those two … Continued
“Parker was born at Camp Pendleton, in California. We are a military family as his father serves active duty in the United States Marine Corp. Parker was born as a healthy baby; however, he failed his newborn screening test in his left ear. He was retested several times during his infancy, and we realized that … Continued
Understanding conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss: Conductive Hearing Loss: occurs when there is damage to the middle or outer ear that blocks sound transmission reaching the cochlea. Common causes include ear infections, cholesteatoma, draining ears, earwax blockages, or structural problems in these areas. Sensorineural Hearing Loss: occurs when the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve … Continued
Can you tell us how you lost your hearing and the journey to your implant? “January 27, 1999, I was a typical 2½ year old playing with my favorite toy airplane. January 28, the next day, I was deaf. I had contracted bacterial meningitis that left me with a diagnosis of profound bilateral hearing loss … Continued
“I was born with Waardenburg syndrome, which caused congenital hearing loss for me. I was diagnosed with hearing loss at 6 weeks of age and began to wear hearing aids shortly after. This was in the days before hearing screening were routine for infants and my parents fought to have my hearing tested. The nurses … Continued
“My journey has been a unique one, as I navigate between the hearing and non-hearing worlds. I want to share my ‘new’ story of living with a hearing implant and how it has transformed my life. The Early Years My hearing loss journey began early in life. I was a late talker and resorted to … Continued
“Arriving at what some would call retirement age or beyond, I decided to not retire but just change directions instead. It’s a lot busier than I ever expected and I do miss some parts of the so-called working world, but thanks to my Baha 6 Max Sound Processor on one side of my head and … Continued
“When Alina was first born, she was the perfect baby. She could sleep through anything and wouldn’t wake up even with the barking of the 4-legged family members (our 2 dogs). As time passed, we noticed that she was not meeting some of her development milestones. A diagnosis helps us understand her delayed development Shortly … Continued
“When Theo was born, we learned that he failed his newborn hearing screening on the left side. Six weeks later, we went to a follow-up to confirm he did ‘refer’ and we did the auditory brainstem response test (ABR) at 2 months old. Our fears were confirmed that he had a sensorineural hearing loss in … Continued
“Oh, the gift of sound! Sound, to me, is the spice of life during the holiday season. Conversations with loved ones gathered around the holiday table, holiday music, children laughing, more holiday music and the crackling of a cozy fire. Yes, please! The sounds of the holidays are music to my ears, more now than … Continued
November 9th is Microtia & Atresia Awareness Day, a nationally recognized opportunity to spread awareness about this underrecognized condition. Microtia and atresia are congenital abnormalities of the ear and ear canal, that occur in approximately 1 in 10,000 live births. As a result of these abnormalities, individuals can suffer from conductive hearing loss. Through a … Continued
“When our son, Britt, was born, we were expecting the normal hospital stay and the sometimes-blissful, often-exhausting first few months of odd sleep schedules, family visits and pediatrician appointments. He was born without any real complications and soon was perfectly happy being cradled, enjoying his bottle, sleeping and crying. The second day of his life, … Continued
“This is the story of a proud father and son who are both cochlear implant wearers! I (Mark) was born profoundly deaf. My parents got me fitted for hearing aids when I was around 5 years old. I became an expert at lip reading quickly at a young age and was able to combat the … Continued
“If you had told me as a young child that this was a piece I would write as a college graduate, I wouldn’t have believed you. I spent nearly 20 years of my life as a hearing person, experiencing everything life had to offer to hear naturally. I was diagnosed with Cystic fibrosis (CF) before … Continued