Busting Hearing Myths
Having a hearing test is painful.
Hearing tests are entirely painless. First your ears are examined with a little light called an Otoscope. Soft spongy earphones are inserted into the ears. You will hear a series of soft tones or notes. When you hear the tone you simply press a button to indicate that you have heard the tone. Each ear is tested separately and the procedure takes about 10 minutes.We offer a free hearing health check so please book in to find out more about your hearing health.
Wearing hearing aids will make my ears lazy.
In fact the opposite is true. Wearing hearing aids keeps our listening fit and healthy. We do not hear in the ears – we hear in the part of the brain that processes sound. Our hearing is the only sense that we cannot switch off so our ears are working all day and all night without a break. Over time we suffer some wear and tear in the ears. This means that gradually the ears send a weaker and less complete signal into the hearing brain which results in the hearing brain not being adequately stimulated. This is not good for brain health. Recent research shows that a mild hearing loss doubles our risk of developing dementia. About 50% of people in their 50’s already have a mild hearing loss.
Wearing hearing aids means that the hearing brain received a rich and complete signal. The hearing brain remains stimulated and fit. Book an appointment with us to find out more about keeping your hearing brain fit and agile.
Hearing aids will make me look old.
Modern hearing aids are so discreet that it is very difficult to see if someone is wearing them. Saying pardon frequently, leaning in towards someone during a conversation, looking confused or giving a fake laugh at the end of a joke are much more obvious signs that you are not hearing well. Get your hearing checked to see if you are missing out. We offer a free hearing health check so please do book in if you are curious to know if you are missing things!
I will know if I am losing my hearing.
Because sound is invisible – you will not know what you are missing. It is impossible to know if you have normal hearing or hearing loss unless it is properly tested. We offer a free hearing health check so please do book in to see if you are in good hearing health!
Everyone my age struggles to hear in restaurants.
This may not be due to you age per se but rather that most people in your age group probably have some hearing loss. If you are 50 years and older then there is at least a 50% chance that you have some hearing loss. Modern hearing aids handle background noise really well so if you want to enjoy effortless socialising then please pop in to find out what modern technology can do for you.
Everyone mumbles on the TV these days.
If you are thinking this then you definitely need to get your hearing checked. This is one of the clearest signs that you probably have some hearing loss. The sound quality in televisions has gone up over the years with digital recordings and improvements in speaker designs – so please don’t blame the actors! If you need to turn the TV up so that others comment on its loudness then it is time to get your hearing checked. Book in for one of our free hearing health checks!
Hearing aids whistle – How embarrassing!
Whistling hearing aids are a thing of the past. Modern hearing aids do not whistle – they are designed not to. Of course if the ear canal is blocked up with wax or they have not been inserted properly then whistling may occur for these reasons. If your hearing aids are whistling then why not book in for wax removal. We offer both ear irrigation and endoscopic microsuction to get your ears nice and clear.
Hearing aids make everything louder.
Modern hearing aids are like little ear computers – they can detect the sounds in your environment and adapt themselves accordingly. Modern hearing aids know when you are listening to music, know when you are in a restaurant, detect when it is quiet or very noisy and will alter how they operate depending on your environment. If sounds are too loud, they will turn themselves down. When sounds are too quiet they turn themselves up. This is all done automatically so you don’t have to worry about using a volume control or being overwhelmed by background noise. Book a session with one of our audiologists to find out more about what digital hearing aids can do for you.
