The Hype as The Next Best Thing (TM) since sliced bread

Certainly, there's hype surrounding the cochlear implants with lots of people extolling the virtues of it and claiming it to be "The Next Best Thing(TM)". To determine if a cochlear implant is the right thing to do, one must look beyond the hype and look at the data and scientific research. I've read lots of testimonials that said "oh yeah! Cochlear implants are the best!" Testimonials are great and all, but I still thirst for understanding why it's the best, and what qualifies it as better than other options. Yes, it does work for people with a profound loss. But even people with moderate losses are being implanted. Is it still the best? I know that there are people who will argue that "no, they would have heard fine with hearing aids." And that may be true. Where is the dividing line defined where cochlear implants or hearing aids are better for someone?

But what about stem cells? I suspect that they have a hype about them as well. There has been a lot of marketing press releases lately about clinical trials and initial successes. However, the issue I have with reading marketing presses is that it is designed to sell you water, even when you're surrounded by water. Stem cell research has been hyped up as "The Next Best Thing(TM)" lately. While it is a marvel of modern science, it still has a long way to go. I've heard from someone that someone else down in Costa Rica had a stem cell treatment for his hearing loss, and was able to recover quite a bit of his hearing. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of details on it. The more I read marketing publications about it, the more frustrated I get since there are no substantial data within it. It's all relative. It could be that the person who got the stem cell treatment hears better because he got over a cold. Well, that may be an extreme example. Still, without verifiable data, it is still hype. Hopefully the cord-blood clinical trial yields quantifiable data that is tangible that can help shape and define the understanding of what stem cells can and cannot do in the world of hearing (loss).

I'm a bit skeptical. It's all snake oil until I can get my head wrapped around it. I don't have the understanding that the cochlear implants are better for me than hearing aids. And I don't have the understanding that stem cells work or would work for me. I do know that hearing aids do work for me, just not as well as it used to in my right ear.

In other news, I ran into my old boss on the way out to lunch. I had a difficult time understanding her nowadays, mainly because I could not hear some of the sounds she was making as she was talking. I didn't have that issue before. It's a little frustrating. Maybe I'm just super paranoid about boosting the volume on anything lately since getting the news, and may not be amplifying enough.