Some of the signs of a hearing loss include asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the TV and radio and misinterpreting speech.
An evaluation of your hearing threshold can be carried out by a qualified Independent Audiologist.
The next best judge is to ask the person you live with – they are usually the first to recognise if they are repeating themselves!!
The only way to be sure if you have a hearing problem or if anything can be done about it is to have a hearing test. Arrange a test at Wexford Hearing today.
No, all Hearing aids are not the same. Like many things in life, especially with technology, you get what you pay for.
At Wexford Hearing we pride ourselves on providing the best technology available at the most competitive prices. An Independent provider can advise you on the different makes and models of hearing aids to fund one that suits you best.
It is tempting to wait, but there are many good reasons to face up to hearing loss.
Your Brain.
The longer you put off wearing hearing aids the harder it is for your brain to get used to them and to re-learn certain sounds. Conversely, the earlier you get help with your hearing, the higher are your chances of success.
Social and psychological effects
Research from the national council of aging shows that when people begin to use hearing aids, they experience improvements in their lives including in their mental health, their Independence and sense of self confidence.
Links with Dementia
A recent study by John Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging reported that older people with untreated hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time that those who retain their hearing. Although, exact reasons are not yet fully understood, researchers have said that wearing hearing aids could help with Auditory deprivation.
Simply put, the best hearing aid for someone else may not be the best hearing aid for you. There are many factors to consider – including ease of use, ability to connect wirelessly to phones, ease of cleaning and maintenance, complex programming algorithms for better speech understanding in noise etc.
At Wexford Hearing we put the client first in recommendation of any potential hearing solution.
That depends on a number of factors including the shape and type of aid, the shape of the ear, the rehabilitation and support that you receive from the hearing aid audiologist and your own desire to make it work. That’s the reason we give a FREE trial of hearing aids so that YOU can determine for yourself how much benefit they will give you.
You don’t ‘have to’ do anything! But if you want to give yourself the biggest improvement in your hearing and you have hearing loss in both ears then Yes, you should wear two hearing aids.
There is lots of evidence about how two hearing aids are better than one and includes facts such as:
You will hear better in a noisy environment as sound will arrive into the ear at a slightly different moment in time helping your brain process sound more accurately.
Speech understanding improves when wearing two aids rather than one as much of the speech signal is lost by the time it gets to the aided ear from the unaided side, while background noises to the aided side are amplified causing a hearing imbalance.
Your brain uses information from both ears to analyse where sound is coming from. Imagine standing beside a busy road with your eyes closed and the sound of a passing car enters one ear and then moments later enters the other ear – that information assists the brain in localising the direction of sound – and keeps you safe!
Hearing aids cost varies widely from basic amplifiers costing less than €100 to very advanced digital microprocessors costing much. There are financial grants available for many people in Ireland to assist them to hear better and payment plans to help manage the costs from just a few euro per week.
There may also be tax relief available of 20% of the cost.
At Wexford Hearing we have hearing solutions for every budget – see our price list here.
There is NO RISK in trialing hearing aids. If you decide that they will improve your quality of life, then you can choose to invest in them and your hearing health. If you don’t then simply return them.
Simply phone us on 1800 80 43 22 or email [email protected] and we will arrange a suitable appointment for you.
About 6 in 10 people experience tinnitus relief when wearing hearing aids however it is a complex issue with a number of factors influencing this figure. At Wexford Hearing the Audiologist will make a recommendation based on your case history and presentation. Due to our unique service to trial hearing aids in your own home without any risk, the client can determine for themselves how much the hearing aids help.
Yes. Some of our branded hearing aids can be taken away on a completely free trial. In that way you can assess the benefit to you in the real world before making any commitment.
Yes. Some of our branded hearing aids can be taken away on a completely free trial. In that way you can assess the benefit to you in the real world before making any commitment.
As exposure to loud noise is a major contributor to adult hearing loss, one of the best ways you can protect your hearing is to wear hearing protectors over your ears when exposed to loud noise (such as using heavy machinery or loud garden appliances)
The tiny hair cells in your inner ear can become damaged by exposure to loud noise which then limits these hairs ability to pick up and transmit sound to the brain.
It is important to stimulate these nerves through correctly prescribed amplification to help prevent a phenomenon known as Auditory deprivation where the brain is starved of certain sounds.
It is advisable to trial hearing aids sooner rather than later so that a smaller amount of amplification is needed to help the person to hear better.
No, Modern Hearing aids are highly advanced digital processing mini computers for your ears and dependent on the type of hearing loss and type of hearing aid can significantly improve a person's hearing and quality of life. However, the clue is in the name – it is an aid – not a cure. There are a number of factors that will determine how satisfied a person is with their hearing aids. Step one is to ascertain exactly what type of hearing loss and expectations a person has before giving advice.
Sound travels through the air in waves first striking the outer ear which is the part visible on the head. It’s also known as the pinna or auricle. The outer ear’s shape helps to collect sound and direct it inside the head toward the middle and inner ears. Along the way, the shape of the ear helps to increase the volume of the sound and help locate which direction it is coming from.
From the outer ear, sound waves travel through a small tube approx. 2.5cm known as the ear canal. In people, this tiny tube is about 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) long.
The ear drum or tympanum is stretched tightly across the end of the ear canal inside the head. As sound waves reach the ear drum, they vibrate its membrane. This triggers pressure waves that swell into the middle ear.
Inside the middle ear is a small cavity with three tiny bones. Those bones are the malleus (which means “hammer” in Latin), the incus (which means “anvil” in Latin) and the stapes (which means “stirrup” in Latin). These three bones are known as ossicles. They are the smallest bones in the human body. The stapes (STAY-pees), for instance, is only 3 millimetres (0.1 inch) long! These three bones work together to receive sound waves and transmit them on to the inner ear. Inside this inner ear is a fluid-filled, snail-shaped structure. It’s called the cochlea. Inside it stand ranks of microscopic “hair” cells. They contain bundles of tiny, hair-like strands embedded in a gel-like membrane. When sound vibrations enter the cochlea, they make the membrane and its hair cells sway to and from. Their movements send messages to the brain that register the sound as any of many distinct pitches.
These hair cells are fragile, over time, they begin to weaken and disappear, this can be caused by exposure to loud noise and aging. People begin to lose the ability to detect certain sounds. Hair cells that respond to high-pitched sounds tend to die off first.
When one dies, it's gone forever. That is why it is so important to protect your ears from exposure to loud noises and also have your hearing health tested.
Hearing Aid Grant
Many people both employees and the self employed who have paid PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance) may receive significant help when purchasing hearing aids.
You may also qualify for the grant through your spouse’s PRSI contributions. If you qualify, you are entitled to up to €1000 towards the cost of your hearing aids (€500 per hearing aid/ear). This grant is given every four years on application, if qualified.
To enquire if you may be entitled to any grants simply contact us on 1800 80 43 22 or [email protected]
More information can be obtained at the Treatment Benefit scheme section of the department of Health and Children website: www.dohc.ie
Tax Relief
You may be able to claim tax relief on medical expenses including those on hearing aids that you pay for yourself and on behalf of any other person.
For further information please visit the revenue website - A Guide to claiming Health or Medical Expenses Relief
