Stefanie, a radio host from Berlin, loves her new ear
Stefanie from Berlin thinks it's silly to hide her hearing loss. She even lets her friends touch her new "ear"—the audio processor for her middle ear implant—and try out for themselves how the magnet works.
At a Glance
- Who is a good candidate for a middle ear implant?
- New ear hears animal sounds, voices, and music
- No fear of hearing aids or implants
Stefanie Schweda, a native of Berlin, has always been very open about her hearing loss. The radio host and tour guide believes it’s much better to actively draw attention to hearing aids. She would love to make all hearing aids colorful. Since Stefanie got a new “ear”—a middle ear implant—she can hear much better and communicate more easily with friends. The middle ear implant has also brought her nothing but benefits professionally in the studio at her station, Berliner Rundfunk 91.4. In this interview, she offers words of encouragement to others.
What is your hearing history, and how did you eventually end up with a middle ear implant as your new ear?
Stefanie Schweda: Besides the radio, traveling and culture are my great passions. Years ago, while traveling through Vietnam as part of a trip to Asia, I developed an earache; later, my right ear suddenly became blocked. Both times, ear drops provided temporary relief, but then I developed tinnitus in my right ear—which for me took the form of a constant hissing sound. Over the next few years, my hearing gradually worsened, and I got hearing aids for both ears. I was very satisfied with the sound quality of the hearing aids, but I often couldn’t wear them due to frequent infections. At a clinic in Berlin, I was then diagnosed with external auditory canal stenosis in both ears. This means that the external auditory canal is narrowed, making it difficult for sound to travel through. Several surgeries followed, during which attempts were made—unfortunately unsuccessfully—to open my left ear canal. Then, at the clinic, I learned about a middle ear implant as a “new ear” that would allow me to hear again.
Who needs a middle ear implant?
Some people cannot wear conventional hearing aids due to recurring infections, allergic reactions, or other medical reasons—even though they would benefit from them. Others suffer from mild to severe sensorineural or conductive hearing loss, as well as mixed hearing loss.
The middle ear implant is a good alternative for people in whom the transmission of sound from the eardrum through the middle ear to the inner ear is impaired. While hearing aids amplify sound, a middle ear implant stimulates the ear directly. In this way, the implant mimics the natural hearing process and thereby compensates for malfunctions of the middle ear.
How did you experience the surgery and activation?
Stefanie Schweda:The surgery was easy. Only the spot where the implant is located under the skin on my head hurt for a few nights while I was sleeping; otherwise, I had no discomfort. Two months after the surgery, my implant was activated. I was very excited, but the sounds I heard were immediately overwhelming. On the way home, a bird was chirping in a hedge right next to me. Then I heard someone talking on the phone and saw the person through a car window—I would never have heard that with my hearing aid. And certainly not without one. In the car, I listened to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to test how the sound quality would be with classical music. I was absolutely thrilled and incredibly relieved.
I was also amazed at how expressive my two cats are. Their meows and their contented purrs are sounds I hadn’t heard before. Personally, I didn’t need any extended adjustment period or hearing training.
You’re very interested in culture, love music, movies, and theater, and work as a radio editor: How does that work with the new middle ear implant?
Stefanie Schweda: I usually use the setting that filters out background noise. I get along very well with it. Thanks to the significantly improved sound quality, I can now understand people who whisper or speak softly. When the Philharmonic plays Shostakovich at full volume, I turn it down a little. If the brass section is too dominant, I make the sound softer. The only time I have trouble is in rooms with a lot of echo. Otherwise, I really enjoy how easily I can adjust the volume right on my phone. And if a baby is crying on the S-Bahn, I just turn down the volume on my implant.
It’s become much easier at work in the radio studio, because I can also wear my new ear with headphones. I no longer have to turn up the studio sound system as loud, and I’m even able to talk to colleagues while I’m wearing the headphones.
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You have a middle ear implant in your left ear and a hearing aid in your other ear. Is that a good solution for you?
Stefanie Schweda: My new ear works well with the hearing aid in my right ear. However, I often get infections in my right ear, and when that happens, I rely solely on the implant.
I suspect that at some point I’ll need an implant in my right ear as well. For me, the biggest advantage of the implant system is that hearing is simply no longer an issue. I put it on in the morning and don’t take it off until bedtime. That’s an incredible relief.
What advice would you give to others with similar hearing experiences?
Stefanie Schweda: Take your hearing loss very seriously. The sooner someone addresses the issue and seeks out hearing aids, the better. And if a doctor recommends a middle ear implant, all I can say is: No one needs to be afraid of it, because your hearing can only get better. I love my new ear, and among friends I sometimes jokingly refer to myself as a cyborg—a human-machine hybrid. Being open about my hearing loss helps immensely—both for me and for those around me, whether among friends or colleagues.
Read more about middle ear implants as an alternative to hearing aids and learn how they work.
