Hearing well again makes me feel more confident and empowered.
Hazel Lewis from Glasgow describes having hearing aids as like seeing a picture in colour for the first time
Retired teacher Hazel Lewis used to have to stand at the front of her Tai Chi class so she could hear what the instructor was saying. When her hearing problems in both ears were first diagnosed at the age of 40, she admits to being devastated.
Now, though, she says she feels empowered – and it’s all thanks to global hearing specialist Amplifon.
“I used to feel shut out but I’m absolutely astonished by the difference with Amplifon,” says Hazel, now 65. “I feel empowered and more confident now I’ve overcome my hearing issues they don’t rule my life anymore.”
Like many people who encounter issues with their hearing, Hazel says others were first to notice. She frequently had to ask people to repeat themselves, struggled to listen to music and missed the punchlines of jokes. During a phone call with her mother, she realised she needed to seek help.
“I hadn’t heard the phone ringing and when I finally picked it up she was annoyed,” Hazel says. “Other people were becoming frustrated because of this hearing problem I didn’t think I had.”
There had also been struggles in her working life as a primary school teacher, although she admits she had developed coping mechanisms to deal with them.
“If a child was reading a story out loud from the back of the classroom I’d ask them to come to the front and then look over their shoulder to see the text,” she says.
After an initial test 25 years ago, she was given NHS hearing aids, but said they did little to improve the situation. The over-the-ear aids were bulky and uncomfortable and made her feel self-conscious, while the volume control was not designed for her highfrequency deafness. She went through two other sets of aids until she walked past the Glasgow branch of Amplifon and decided to go in.
“I’d been having problems with the aids I had so I thought I’d go in,” she says. “I was pleasantly surprised when they said they could test me there and then.”
Immediately, Hazel says she could see how thorough and accurate the testing process was. “What astonished me was my audiologist was able to show me on a screen what the inside of my ear looked like and a complete breakdown of all the consonants I couldn’t hear properly,” Hazel says. “It was the first time a hearing specialist had actually shown me the sounds I couldn’t hear and it gave me a much better understanding of my difficulties.”
Although she was offered a free trial, Hazel says she knew straight away that these were the hearing aids for her. “It was like seeing a picture in colour for the first time,” she says. “They enhanced the quality of the sounds I was hearing and the audiologist said he could see the difference in me when they were switched on.” She soon found she was hearing noises she had not experienced for a long time. “I was having a coffee in a café and discovered I could eavesdrop people’s conversations,” she laughs.
With her iPhone, Hazel can easily adjust the settings of her hearing aids to suit different situations, such as busy restaurants. It means if she can’t hear what someone is saying she can simply turn down the background noise so they become clearer. When her phone rings, the sound goes straight to her hearing aids, which also act as headphones if she wants to listen to music.
All in all, the effect has been lifechanging. “I don’t have to use subtitles on TV anymore, which is really beneficial for my family, I can hear my husband when he’s in a different room and I’m enjoying listening to the radio, which I couldn’t do before,” she says. “My son, who lives in Australia, got married recently and I was able to cope really well with lots of people around.”
The aftercare service offered by Amplifon was also a huge bonus and Hazel says she would not hesitate to recommend others to seek help. “I’d say go for it, you can pop into a shop and get a friendly welcome from people who are professional and courteous,” she says. “I used to be embarrassed about my hearing problems but thanks to Amplifon I can pick up every sound!”
Thanks to Amplifon I can now pick up every sound