Your Healthy Family: What can be done when hearing aids no longer help?

8:49 AM, Dec 07, 2018
9:16 AM, Feb 21, 2023

Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs and does not reflect the same of KOAA.

COLORADO SPRINGS – Charlene Kellogg was struggling with her hearing, even with the help of hearing aids.  That’s when she began to consider the possibility of a cochlear implant with the help of Dr. Stacey Longoria an audiologist with Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs.

Cochlear implants can make a world of difference for people when traditional hearing aids no longer help.

Dr. Stacey Longoria Au.D. with Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs says, “Patients who are a candidate for a cochlear implant have moderate to severe to profound hearing loss, or speech discrimination and they also show little to no benefit with hearing aids.”

That’s exactly the situation Charlene Kellogg found herself in when her hearing aids became less and less helpful.

Charlene explains, “Sometimes I would simply smile and nod my head, or say ‘yea’ or something like that.  I had no clue what they were saying. There were times that I would be with a group of people and I would cry going home because I couldn’t be a part of the conversation.”

Dr. Longoria explains that even for patients like Charlene moving to a cochlear implant is a significant decision that should be carefully considered by both the doctor and patient.  “In the initial cochlear implant evaluation we always start with a hearing test to see if they meet the first set of candidacy criteria. We also make sure they fully understand the ways a cochlear implant functions, and the process it takes to adjust to hearing with one.”

Charlene says, “It took a while for me to decide that this is what I wanted to do.  The more difficult it was to hear, I decided that this is something that I needed to do.”

In an upcoming story, Charlene and Dr. Longoria will explain the surgery process and the ways Charlene’s life has been improved as well the work she has put in as part of her progress.

Dr. Longoria explains that a cochlear implant is a big step in a new direction for people struggling with their hearing, and a clear understanding of how the device works and the work involved in adjusting to them is extremely important.

Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs is a proud sponsor of Your Healthy Family

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