Hearing Loss

Understanding Hearing Loss

Our sense of hearing is what connects us to the world around us.

Our hearing provides pleasure, alerts us to surrounding and immediate concerns, and most importantly, helps us to communicate and connect with the people in our lives.

Hearing loss can affect different people in different ways… It can mean some sounds can’t be heard, discomfort can be caused by loud sounds, particular speech such as ‘S’ or ‘F’ sounds are inaudible or it’s difficult to separate sounds, especially when there is a lot of background noise e.g. in public or crowded spaces.

Hearing difficulties can be tiring, cause embarrassment and affect our confidence and really affect our ability to live a full and enjoyable life.

Don’t worry, you are not alone…

Hearing loss can result from excessive noise, illness, accident, exposure to certain drugs and chemicals, or as part of the ageing process.

While reduced communication ability has a dramatic impact on a person’s quality of life, the majority of people with hearing loss (85%) do not utilize devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants to directly enhance their ability to communicate.

Why so many don’t act…

Scared of causing a fuss, or to set embarrassment aside and admit there is a problem.

When we ask new clients what took them so long to organise a hearing test many replied that for a long time it was easier to ignore [hearing difficulties] than acknowledge. For some, spouses and relatives provided passive support by making allowances and excuses for someone in their lives with deteriorating hearing.

What should you look out for…

Hearing loss generally occurs gradually, unless caused by a health condition or accident. it can be difficult to realise you are experiencing hearing loss until it starts to affect the people around you and the day to day experiences we take for granted.

The early signs of hearing loss

• You can hear but not understand.
• You find it harder to hear in noisy situations with groups of people.
• You have difficulty understanding people unless they are facing you.
• You think people mumble.
• You don’t always hear the doorbell or the phone.
• You need to turn the TV up louder than other people.

If you think you, or someone in your life is experiencing hearing loss, the first step is to have a hearing check. Getting your hearing checked is a simple way to learn more about your hearing and what can be done to help…