Frequently Asked Questions

The most common cause is age. Hearing loss can also result from disease, ear infections, trauma, certain medications, hereditary factors or long-term exposure to loud noise.

You may have hearing loss if you:

• Hear people speaking but have to strain to understand the words
• Frequently ask people to repeat what they said
• Feel that people often mumble
• Miss the punchline of jokes or details of meetings
• Play the TV or radio louder than family and friends
• Cannot hear the doorbell or telephone
• Find it easier to understand when looking at the speaker’s face

If any of these sound familiar, a hearing test is the best next step.

Some types of hearing loss — such as those caused by wax, infection or certain middle-ear problems — can be treated medically or surgically. Most permanent (sensorineural) hearing loss cannot be reversed, but the majority of people find that a properly fitted hearing aid significantly improves their hearing.

Losing the ear’s ‘fine-tuning’ makes it hard to follow speech in noise, such as traffic or children playing. This isn’t deafness in the usual sense, but a hearing aid can still help. A hearing evaluation will show the extent of any loss and the best solution for you.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound — ringing, buzzing, roaring or hissing — with no external source. It may be constant or intermittent, mild or severe, and may or may not come with hearing loss. Most tinnitus is subjective (heard only by the patient). Hearing aids and counselling help many people manage it.

A hearing aid is a small battery-operated device that amplifies sound. A microphone converts sound into electrical signals, an amplifier increases the loudness of specific frequencies to match your hearing, and a receiver sends the sound into your ear.

Older analogue aids simply make all sounds louder and often whistle or distort. Digital aids contain a tiny computer that processes sound precisely, continuously adapting to your hearing profile and environment — improving speech understanding, even in background noise.

After a few weeks of regular use (usually 4 to 8 weeks), most people find conversations much easier, listening more relaxed, and confidence higher. You’ll also hear warning sounds more readily. Regular follow-ups help us fine-tune your aids for the best results.

If you have hearing loss in both ears, two hearing aids usually give better speech understanding in noise, better sense of where sounds come from, more natural sound and less listening fatigue. They also keep both ears active, which helps prevent deterioration in the unaided ear.