‘Hearing aids have made a massive difference to my life’

IKE one in ten people in the UK, Nicola Kirby’s hearing loss is complicated by the fact that she also suffers from tinnitus.

She says: “It’s a double whammy. I can’t hear the shape of sound but I can hear the volume, so any increase in volume increases the tinnitus.”

After 15 years of wearing NHS hearing aids Nicola was feeling let down by the devices she’d been given.

She recalls: “They kept breaking down. I was having to wait four or five months for appointments, and despite the best efforts of people to help me, I was really struggling.

“It got to the point where I felt quite isolated and, to be honest, quite depressed.”

Then she discovered Amplifon and it changed her life.

Nicola says: “For once I had someone on my side who understood my problems.”

She had been putting off finding another solution to her condition because she was dreading a hard sell.

But eventually she thought: “I have got nothing to lose’.”

And an appointment with Amplifon was a revelation.

Nicola remembers “There was no ‘big sell’ when I asked about the products.

“Lee, my audiologist, was fantastic. He explained Amplifon can’t give you your hearing back, but we can extend and amplify what you have and help with the tinnitus too.

“Everybody was so kind, so helpful, and so supportive. It’s almost as if you have a team behind you. “You can’t put a price on that.”

And five years on her new hearing aids have made a huge difference.

She says: “The most exciting thing at the moment is using the phone again after 20 years.”

Nicola also no longer has to rely on subtitles to watch her favourite television shows as she can stream them directly to her aids using Bluetooth.

She even has an app to adjust – and remember – the best settings for different environments such as her local pub or a football match.

“I feel a lot more confident. Amplifon helped me achieve my optimum hearing experience and help with tinnitus too.

“If anyone is thinking of going to Amplifon, I would say, ‘Don’t hesitate’. It has made such a massive difference to my life.”