Do not suffer in silence.. get your hearing checked
Newsreader and TV presenter John Craven tells how he discovered his ears were failing
FOR years, my wife joked she felt she’d been married to me for twice as long as I had to her – because she always had to repeat everything.
Maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention to what she was saying, which, I gather, can be a common fault with partners.
But slowly, it dawned on me that I simply couldn’t hear her clearly enough. “Say again”, was becoming a standard response.
While filming for television I found myself having to move closer to the people I was interviewing and became increasingly worried about invading their personal space.
Large social events, meetings and drinks parties were a nightmare – I couldn’t make out individual voices amid the general hubbub.
Once, I was travelling in a loud vehicle with a well-known TV personality and one of my daughters. I was in the front and found it difficult to follow their conversation.
Afterwards, my daughter said: “Dad, he invited you on to his show and you didn’t reply.”
I managed to sort out that unintentional rudeness but such incidents were happening far too regularly. Outdoors, familiar sounds of nature were becoming muted – would that eventually affect my work on programmes like Countryfile?
I forced myself to face the fact that, like one in every six people in the UK, I was suffering from hearing loss.
There is nothing to be ashamed of. Any remaining stigma attached to hearing loss needs to be challenged and wearing a hearing aid should be as socially acceptable as wearing spectacles. I’m happy to wear both.
I booked a free hearing test at Specsavers – and it changed my life. When I stepped into the sound-proof booth and put on headphones, I heard strange, unconnected noises. They started loud and I had to press a button when they faded and I could no longer detect them. After a few painless minutes, the verdict was in – my hearing was deteriorating and I needed help. As soon as aids were fitted the difference was astounding. I was back in the world of full-blown sound.
All that was some years ago and though my hearing aids have changed my life, there is a danger you can take them for granted.
Regrettably, I didn’t get my hearing checked as regularly as I should have. So, recently, when my wife started to say things twice again and other sounds seemed a bit fuzzy, I realised it was time to book an appointment.
The audiologist revealed that since my first test in 2008, my hearing levels had dropped by 20 per cent.
“Don’t be alarmed though,” she said, reassuringly. “We can compensate for that.”
Before I got my “extra ears”, I would never have heard the overhead screeching of red kites. I played a small part in reintroducing these stunning birds to the UK 30 years ago. From the buzzing of bumble bees to the soft words of young children, there are so many sounds that, if you don’t take action, can slowly slip away.
What I’ve learned is that there is no need to suffer in silence, or to feel isolated.
If you notice any changes in your hearing, or in that of someone close to you, there is nothing to lose by getting checked.
Take it from me – that is sound advice. ●specsavers.co.uk