Asking people to repeat things, feeling that people are mumbling, struggling to follow a conversation, misunderstanding what people say or not hearing what people are saying. Needing to turn up the volume of the TV or radio. Not hearing running water, birds chirping or leaves rustling. Not hearing the ticking of high heeled shoes, as or the beep of the washing machine, microwave or dishwasher.

It depends on the type of hearing loss that you have. There are 3 types of hearing loss, a conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and a mixed hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss can sometimes be cured or reversed by medication or surgery. A sensorineural loss cannot be reversed, but there is treatment and strategies to reduce the impact of the hearing loss.

• General cognitive decline as well as dementia: Untreated hearing loss causes the brain to work harder to identify sounds, locate sounds, and understand what is being said in conversations. This causes stress on the brain, which can lead to cognitive decline and memory difficulties. Untreated hearing loss often causes isolation and depression, which are risk factors for dementia.
• Fatigue: Due to the person straining and concentrating so much on lip reading and visual cues, as well as the stress on the brain, this can cause tiredness and fatigue. This is often more noticeable in the afternoon, evening, or in social settings.
• Frustration: Family and friends often get frustrated with the person who has hearing loss, as they have to repeat themselves or speak louder than normal. The person with hearing loss is also likely to mishear what is being said or may feel embarrassed to keep asking for repetition, leading to assumptions about what someone has said, which can frustrate the speaker.
• Heart attack and stroke: Recent studies have found that people with hearing loss are up to five times more likely to have a heart attack, raised blood pressure, or a stroke compared to those without hearing loss. Raised blood pressure, heart conditions, and strokes can lead to poor blood circulation, which may cause the cochlear hair cells to not receive enough oxygen, resulting in hearing loss.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes are two times more likely to experience hearing loss. This may be due to nerve damage associated with diabetes, including damage to the auditory nerve. High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in the inner ear and auditory nerve, while low blood sugar levels can impede how sounds are transmitted in the auditory nerve.

The lifespan of hearing aids are generally 3-7 years. It varies according to the style of hearing aid as well as how well they are cared for and maintained.

If hearing aid/s are not inserted correctly, if there is lots of wax in the ear or if something is rubbing against the microphone of the hearing aid you may hear a whistling sound, which is also known as feedback. Feedback can also be caused from a fault inside the hearing aid.

If your hearing aid is not working, insert a new battery or fully charge the hearing aids, if they are rechargeable. Change the wax filter in the hearing aid. If this does not work, please contact us to book an appointment.