Hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression and even dementia with Christmas one of the most challenging times for sufferers – but there's still time to act and find the right solution before the festive season gets underway, says the team at Wilmslow's Hear Pure Clinic.
Evidence shows that whilst people tend to look after their eyesight and visit their opticians regularly, it can take on average up to ten years for the hearing impaired to seek help. During that time, life can become a struggle with conversation, social interaction and even simple pleasures like watching the television or listening to the radio becoming increasingly difficult. Yet taking the first steps towards enjoying a brighter future requires only a short visit to Hear Pure's warm and welcoming clinic on Church Street, Wilmslow, where an initial screening test can be arranged as a walk in or same day appointment - and it's free of charge, quick and painless. Or if preferred, home visits are also possible.
Advice is always honest, impartial and professional. Many leave reassured that no immediate action is required – but for those who would benefit from further help, the clinic works in partnership with patients delivering the best solutions to meet individual needs and budgets. Further consultations, if needed, are at no cost; there is a try-before-you-buy trial period; a price matching promise with a 60-day money back guarantee and there is also complimentary aftercare support for life.
Around one in six of us suffer from hearing issues. In the UK, around 50,000 children, more than 40% of people over 50 years old and 71% of people over the age of 70 are all affected by hearing loss. Wear and tear of the hearing function can happen at any time and for a host of reasons. And hearing problems can hit at any age, says Hear Pure owner Vanessa, who herself was faced with hearing loss in her early thirties after being diagnosed with the bone growth condition otosclerosis and who, as a child, had experienced the debilitating effects of hearing loss on her mother who suffers from the genetic disorder, Usher Syndrome.
"Having first-hand experience of hearing loss, I was struck by the lack of awareness of the problems faced by sufferers and the impact it can have on quality of life but also by the lack of choice available for hearing care. I quickly discovered there was a demand for a quality provider who could offer a professional yet personal service," says Vanessa who launched her first clinic in Chester in 2012 before opening Wilmslow in 2016 and a third in Heswall last year.
Sufferers do not always acknowledge that they have a hearing problem and sometimes it falls upon family or friends to recognise the signs. Are you - or your loved one - struggling to hear the television, radio or the doorbell or missing parts of conversations? Is being out and about in crowded or noisy places frustrating when you can't hear clearly what is being said? Are phone conversations - or chats with people when you can't see their faces - difficult for you? Do parts of words, especially consonants, seem to disappear when others are talking to you, so, for example, instead of 'chair' you may only catch 'air'? Do you feel people are mumbling or have family and friends noticed that you regularly ask them to repeat themselves or speak up? Are the little things like crossing the road a source of anxiety and are you missing out on the important things in life – hearing your grandchildren take their first words or being unable to enjoy to the full, a family or social get-togethers for special occasion?
If any of the above resonates with you – or fits a pattern of behaviour you recognise with a loved one – Hear Pure can help. Vanessa explains, "We fully appreciate that Christmas can be the most isolating period for those with hearing problems. But if people contact us soon, we can arrange a screening test very quickly and if a problem is diagnosed, we can still have a device fitted in time for those social get togethers."
Hear Pure offers a complete range of hearing services including a full range of hearing solutions, ear wax removal and tinnitus clinics.
Photos: Hear Pure Wilmslow's Hearing and Aural Care Specialist Michelle is passionate about improving patient's well being and quality of life.
Hear Pure Wilmslow can arrange same day free of charge hearing tests.
Clinic owner Vanessa knows first hand just how debilitating hearing loss can be.