Hearing is the only sense that can be replicated through a medical device. This is accomplished through electrical stimulation of the auditory (hearing) nerve using a device called a cochlear implant. This life-changing technology has rapidly developed from its humble beginnings of providing basic sound, to helping people live richer and fuller lives through the connections that come with conversation, music, and laughter ..read more

I was born hearing, but as a preemie a two pounds, seven ounces. I lost my hearing due to streptomycin I was given at around 18 months of age. I was just starting to talk, saying words like “Dada, cookie, bye-bye.” But instead of talking more and more over time, I turned silent instead. I would press my ear to the TV to hear it. I was growing deaf in a hearing family ..read more

If words like pinna, cochlea and sensorineural aren’t part of your daily language – you aren’t alone. The amount of medical vocabulary surrounding hearing can make your head spin. Add in a hearing loss, and you aren’t sure if your audiologist said bilateral, binaural, or bimodal. This article will help clarify audiology terms and help you find the right solution for your hearing loss ..read more

A cochlear implant (CI) system is a hearing device designed for children and adults with severe or profound hearing loss. It consists of an external part worn on the ear, and an internal part implanted through a surgical procedure. Together, these parts help an individual hear by bypassing their damaged inner ear and stimulating the hearing nerve with tiny pulses of electrical current ..read more

Travel. Somewhere deep in our collective DNA is the urge to see new places and experience new adventures. Travel is an education like no other, and the more of this beautiful planet we can see, the more we can appreciate all that Earth has to offer ..read more

Recently, I was reading entries on the Advanced Bionics (AB) Facebook page. A wife was pleading for help for her husband, who was giving up on using his processor. He had no one to talk to and wasn’t prepared for the issues he was having. Someone mentioned to the woman that her husband should speak to a cochlear implant mentor to get ideas and maybe find some answers. The wife was totally unaware of mentors. She asked if they worked for AB and how she and her husband might find one in their area. This brings me to the subject of my blog today ..read more

My name is Harriet Amos. This is my story as a profoundly deaf child journeying to adulthood in a hearing world. My parents began to realise I wasn’t hearing well when I was around the age of three. I remember my parents covering their mouths to see if I could hear, and I would easily become frustrated and angry ..read more

Hearing technology, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, help us hear our best, but hearing technology alone is not enough. There is a misconception that wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants is just like wearing glasses. Put them on and you hear clearly ..read more