Do you think your hearing may be impaired?
First, try not to worry, there is a whole range of technological and medical solutions to help and now, more than ever, adults with hearing loss are able to live full and successful lives.
I think I have a hearing loss.
The first step is to arrange a hearing assessment - just complete the enquiry form (click here) and Dr Russell will arrange a full hearing assessment for you free of charge.
No one is too young or too old to receive a thorough hearing evaluation. Nowadays hearing assessments are completed on babies before they leave hospital! But thorough hearing assessments do need to be completed by competent and qualified audiologists. Dr Russell has been testing hearing and dispensing hearing instruments for over 25 years.
My partner / friend tells me I can't hear properly.
Often adults present for hearing assessment because their partners or friends keep telling them that they cannot hear properly. Often their friends and partners are right - they know them and want the best for them! Many adults come to see me reluctantly. They are often fitted with hearing instruments many years afer they could have benefitted from them. Their qualty of life has been considerably reduced for many years.
Whenever there is background noise I have difficulty hearing people. The problem seems to be an inability to pick out the sound of the person talking to me. What can I do to get round it?
As we grow old we gradually lose our ability to pick out speech in noisy or reverberent environments. There comes a point when we need help. If you are in this situation, and you feel that you need help, please come in and see Dr Russell for a full hearing assessment. The Royal National Institute for the Deaf has a telephone hearing test that tests your ability to hear sounds when there is background noise. Try it on 0845 600 5555. If the telephone test shows your hearing to be below normal, make an appointment to see Dr Russell - click here.
The purpose of the audiological evaluation is to determine if a hearing loss exists in one or both ears, to what degree, and to help determine the type of hearing loss. Test results are recorded on a special chart called an audiogram. It is at this point that the audiologist will advise you if you need hearing aids or other device/s to aid your hearing.