This coming Sunday, February 25, the International Cochlear Implant Day. A very special day without a doubt for more than 15 thousand people whose lives have been changed by this hearing solution in Spain. Because hearing again is starting over. And do it with a soundtrack, with new or recovered passions. A good example is Carla Nafriaa 24-year-old girl who had a 90% hearing loss in right ear and that thanks to a cochlear implant He has heard and understood words again, even in noisy environments.
Carla was 14 years old when she began to lose hearing. “Luckily, the process was very slow and that helped me adapt better and get a positive reading of what was happening to me”. Passionate about sports and cycling, study now Physical Activity and Sports. AND His life has changed very recently thanks to a cochlear implant. At this moment she is immersed in the process of auditory reeducation so that your right ear learns to identify the sounds it receives. “The road is long, but in just a few weeks I can already identify tones, sounds and understand words, even in noisy environments.” He also shares this long path with his more than 30 thousand followers on Instagram (@carlanafri).
Carla is one of the more than 15 thousand proper names that in Spain have heard again thanks to the cochlear implant. That is why the term “celebrate” takes on special relevance coinciding this Sunday with International Cochlear Implant Day. The day with which we want to commemorate the first operation performed with this technique in 1957also works for support the entire group of implanted peopleas well as for raise awareness among citizens about the difficulties that people with hearing loss must face and the importance that this type of hearing solutions.
Cochlear implant: the hearing aid that facilitates speech and understanding
The cochlear implant is a electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Has Two parts: an external call sound processorand one internal which is located in the inner ear through a simple surgical intervention. The processor collects and transmits the sound, digitally encoded, to the internal part of the system, which converts these signals into electrical impulses and thus stimulates the auditory nerve. This sends the impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.
After the operationthe implanted person must attend device programming and adjustment sessionsin addition to performing auditory rehabilitation in a specialized center with the support and monitoring of a audiology professional. After the intervention and the adaptation process, users not only recover their hearing ability, but they can also speak and understand language more easily and clearly. What I said: it changes their lives.
Technology and innovation
We pointed out before that first cochlear implant took place on February 25, 1957. The The protagonists were doctors Djuro and Eyries, who performed an operation in France that consisted of inserting a single copper wire inside the cochlea of a patient who suffered from total deafness. Already in 1978, the professor Graeme Clark carried out the first intervention of a multichannel cochlear implantprecursor of the current ones, with which sound could be captured with a very optimal quality.
Currently, these devices have experienced a great technological evolutionwhich has allowed the creation of much smaller, more comfortable and efficient sound processors, which provide the user with better hearing.
The latest and best processors for cochlear implants
The Kanso processor
UMusic has been distributing the manufacturer’s cochlear implants since 1988 Cochlear, world leader in this technology. This collaboration allows us to offer users the most advanced technology in implants. The best example is Kanso, he smallest and lightest sound processor on the market. This model, which is precisely the one carried by Carla Nafría, automatically regulates the sound settings according to the situation and context. And it does so with a discreet and comfortable design.
Nucleus 7, ‘Made for iPhone’ processor
UMusic has also been marketing the sound processor since last year Cochlear’s Nucleus 7, the first ‘Made for iPhone’ processor. This device allows users stream sound from your mobile devicesthus offering a Greater accessibility, connectivity and wireless solutions. With this processor, users can achieve the highest level of hearing performance by directly transmitting sound from a iPhone, iPad either ipod touch compatible.
UMusic support for cochlear implant users
As a company that has always supported cochlear implant users, UMusic joins for another year the celebration of World Day for this type of hearing aid. In fact, the company has a Hearing Implants Area from where it supports Spanish hospitals and clinics that have an implant program. It also provides post-implantation service to users, through personalized care and follow-up once they have undergone the surgical intervention. To achieve this, the company has a extensive network of UMusic reference centers for implant userswhere they can find a personalized service.
