"The CI is definitely the best technical option."

My name is Bernhard, I live in Schwarzach, Pongau and I am bilaterally implanted. My parents were informed about the diagnosis of my hearing loss when I was just a few months old. I wore conventional hearing aids until I was 13 years old, and later only on the right side as I no longer benefited from the hearing aid on the left. That was enough for my familiar environment at home and at school. However, when I started studying, my hearing requirements increased and at the age of 23 I got an implant on the left side, where I hadn't heard anything for about 10 years. I was so impressed with the result that I also had the right side implanted at the age of 25.

After my implantation, I was able to hear all sounds, such as the chirping of birds or the jingling of keys. I have an excellent understanding of speech in a quiet environment, and my understanding of TV and radio has also improved significantly. Conversations with mouth-nose protection, for example, would have been impossible with conventional hearing aids. I therefore recommend all parents to get their children implanted as early as possible, because functioning communication is the basis on which the entire social construct is built.