Simon’s journey back to better hearing

The Falklands veteran has overcome his hearing difficulties and tinnitus, with help from Amplifon

WHEN Simon Weston sustained severe injuries during the Falklands conflict, his hearing was the least of his concerns. But a decade later, the damage to his hearing became apparent.

“I noticed a sort of ticking – I thought a moth had flown into my ear,” recalls Simon, who had been a member of the Welsh guards’ shooting team, operating mortars.

Simon also started to develop tinnitus, a constant nag in his ear that “really got me down”.

But it wasn’t until five years ago when Simon’s wife and children started to joke about him missing bits of conversations, that he took action to address his hearing.

“I do a lot of public speaking and it was becoming difficult to hear peoples’ questions,” he says.

Simon booked a test at his local branch with Global Hearing Specialist, Amplifon, and was immediately impressed.

“I’d already been elsewhere previously about my hearing but Talisha, my Amplifon audiologist, identified things I hadn’t had described to me before and helped me understand the nature of my hearing loss as well as what could be done to address it.”

‘I know I can rely on my hearing aids and if I have any questions I can speak to my audiologist’

Simon chose LiNX hearing aids, which can be adjusted to work in different environments.

“Parties used to be tough, but now I can set my hearing aids to dinner party mode and pick up the higher, softer notes of people’s voices,” he says. “Using the devices with a multi-mic means I can pick up every word in business meetings.”

Simon adds: “Listening to music, I can pick up the higher, sharper notes I had been missing before.”

He has found controlling his hearing aids from his phone easy, too. “The phone app is simple to adjust to suit your needs in different situations,” he explains.

The hearing aids have also helped ease Simon’s tinnitus, leaving him more positive.

“I know I can rely on my hearing aids. And if I have any questions I can speak to my audiologist any time.”

Simon says he would encourage anyone who thinks they have a hearing problem to go to Amplifon.

“It’s about making life more enjoyable, so give it a shot – if you don’t find out, you’ll never know!” Simon Weston, Amplifon Customer