HEALTH
Listen up – check out your hearing loss! Ear health and hearing is every bit as important as our eye health and vision. So if you suspect you have hearing loss, how can you be sure? Hearing loss can affect anyone and often progresses so gradually that it can be difficult to notice until you experience symptoms. Hearing loss has far-reaching effects on your health, so getting a test can help you catch it early. Regardless of your age or job, everyone should get a hearing test if they feel their hearing isn’t as good as it used to be. Those most at risk are people older than 60, and workers in high-noise occupations. A test will determine if there is a hearing loss and how mild or severe it is. It can also help define the type of hearing loss you have: conductive, sensorineural or mixed and whether it will respond best to medical treatment, hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing systems or cochlear implants. Hearing Test This should take no more than an hour. It begins with the audiologist asking you a few questions and then, using a tiny camera, they will examine the health of both ear canals and ear drums; to make sure that sound has a clear pathway to the ear drum. Next, sounds will be played at different pitches through a pair of headphones, and you will be asked to press a button every time you hear a sound. Finally, you will wear a special headband to test how well you can hear sounds through vibrations. All of these
details will be recorded to keep track of any changes in your ears over time. If it's found that you do need to wear a hearing aid, your audiologist will talk you through all the suitable options for you. They may also take a mould of your ear canal, so that your new aid fits properly. This takes five minutes and is completely painless. Hearing Aids There is a wide range of hearing aids and accessories today, designed to help you hear better everywhere. Many aids are now directly compatible with Apple and Android devices (phone, iPad, tablet). This direct streaming of
telephone calls and audio from your device to the hearing aids gives you clear, high definition sound whether it be a phone conversation, music or watching the match! Although technology is changing all the time, the three types of aids remain the same – BTE (Behind the Ear), ITE (In the Ear) and RIC (Receiver in Canal). Your audiologist will take you through all options and help make the right decision for you, and organise follow-up appointments. Thank you to Cecil Amey Opticians & Hearing Care cecilameyopticians.co.uk 73
