In the post-Christmas period, audiologists normally get a brief increase in enquiries.
This is due to families getting together for an extended period of time and people realising that they are not managing to hear TV at the normal level their loved ones have it at. They also realise they are being left out of group conversations because of the background noise, changes in topic/speaker, speed of younger people’s conversation etc.
This year has been different and you may not have seen as many people or been to other houses, but I would still encourage you to pay attention to the niggling thought that your hearing needs to be tested, and not put it off for yet another year!
Dementia and cognitive decline are avoidable complications of hearing loss. We know the brain suffers when it is not fed and enriched with the levels of sound it should receive. But aside from scare stories, there is just the enjoyment of inclusion, contact and conversation - it has been in short supply for many of us this year and more precious than ever, which makes having a hearing loss cruel and frustrating when it takes away your confidence to join in. You can have your confidence back, and you can join in again, hear people from behind a mask and all the other things people take for granted.
A stitch in time saves nine, as they say. And hearing tests are painless and easy to do. A full hearing test can be conducted reliably in your own home (no soundproof booth required) within an hour, using the same equipment and standards as the hospital test.
I take the highest level of precaution against COVID in my working day and in my home life, to keep people as safe as they can be. I am always happy to chat, text or email to discuss the process and whether a test is what you need. Drop me a line!
