BREAKING THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Professor Peter Wolnizer was in his 40s when he received his first pair of hearing aids afterhaving been mildly/moderately deaf since the late 1980s.
The 69-year-old from Cherrybrook now uses cochlear implant technology to connect directly in the wake of COVID-19 and says it has transformed his life.
“Without my Cochlear implant, I would live in a silent world, my family and social life would be massively impaired as I couldn’t hear any conversation, interpret sounds [let alone have a sense of their source or direction].”
The not-so retired, former Business Dean continues his international consulting career with the aid of cochlear implants (s) via Zoom and works out with his personal trainer via FaceTime.
“I actually find Bluetooth hearing technology makes it easier without all the background noise at the gym. I can also be watching TV, experiencing this amazing surround sound, while my wife in the same room doesn’t hear a thing. It’s remarkable hearing technology that’s allowed me to continue working and stay healthy throughout COVID-19.” he said.
“I am still active professionally – with frequent international travel prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now making presentations and participating in meetings via Zoom (thanks to my Cochlear mini microphone). During the shutdown, I continued my regular exercise routines with my personal trainer via FaceTime – it worked incredibly well. I’m now back in the gym on a regular basis. I have no difficulty travelling independently. In fact, I travelled overseas just a couple of months after my Cochlear implant surgery.“
The majority (72%) of Cochlear recipients have been using this technology during COVID-19 to make video calls, with 60% doing so for the first time or more often as part of their day-to-day lives in lockdown, a survey by Cochlear found.*
Invented by Australian Professor Graeme Clark, the multi-channel cochlear implant is an electronic medical device that bypasses the damaged part of the inner ear. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants send sounds directly to the brain, to help improve the clarity of sound.
Prof Wolnizer has a Cochlear implant on one side and a GN ReSound hearing aid on the other. Both devices have Bluetooth streaming capability. “I also stream directly from my TV via a Cochlear adapter and I have a Cochlear wireless Mini Mic that allows me to stream directly from my computer … It’s a real game changer – and so convenient. “
