Around five years ago, I met a lovely farming couple from the Wheatbelt — let’s call them Stan and Pat (not their real names).

Stan had been subjected to noisy machinery for more than 30 years, wearing hearing protection for only the past 15, and then only half of the time.

Pat had been suffering from the effects of a loved one whose partner would not acknowledge his hearing loss, not always in silence. Pat finally convinced Stan to come in for a hearing test and was obviously much more motivated than her husband to have his hearing loss treated. Stan was late in arriving and Pat opened up to me, somewhat tearfully. She described the “old Stan” as her mate and best friend, a chirpy, bright and sociable family man who was well liked in their community.

She painted a picture of Stan now, his loss of confidence, choosing to stay home instead of socialising, clearly existing without a customary spring in his step. He had essentially turned into an uncommunicative, unhappy and somewhat reluctant partner. Pat clearly felt much of this was due to his inability to hear well.

The benefits of treating hearing loss

As an audiologist, I meet people like Stan and Pat daily. What is most frustrating in my profession is the degree of denial and avoidance that is associated with dealing with hearing loss. It would be great if people understood that the benefits of treating hearing loss are quick and often profound and the treatment is low-risk and may potentially reduce the threat of cognitive decline, starting from day one of hearing well.

Today’s hearing devices are not the big cauliflower-looking lumps they used to be, but most often tiny intelligent pieces of sophisticated and stylish technology, much better and more effective than their predecessors. The best part is, they allow wearers to join in on life again, to regain their former confidence, conversation and joke telling.

Let’s face it, maintaining a resistance to wearing a hearing device means everyone around is affected, some more than the sufferer. Communication is challenging with someone frequently asking for repeats of what has been said, and the natural back and forth of conversation is interrupted, affecting understanding, spontaneity and the sharing of observations. Jokes, small talk and unexpected experiences can become a thing of the past. People tend to stick to the basics, filter their language of nuances and subtleties and avoid talking because it can be frustrating, tiresome and difficult.

Hearing loss and cognitive decline

Recent studies at the University of Queensland have also shown that hearing loss is associated with a 30-40 per cent acceleration in cognitive decline. A great deal of recent audiological discussion worldwide is around the worrying escalation in dementia, with the finger pointed squarely at hearing loss as a significant culprit.

A Lancet Commission on Dementia report 2018 identified about 35 per cent of dementia as potentially avoidable, with the single biggest category that could be avoided, some 9 per cent, simply by people paying attention to addressing their hearing loss.

If you have a hearing loss, your natural tendency might be to avoid situations where hearing is more difficult, but this is not the answer for you or anyone around you. There is a very real risk of isolation and depression setting in, even in established relationships where couples have been together for decades.

The great news is that help is readily available. I would encourage you to think about the wider implications of not doing anything about your hearing loss or instead actually enhancing your life, and the lives of everyone around you too.

Contact out team to discuss your hearing needs.

For some, dinner parties are torture. Someone at the end of the table tells a funny story. Another person jumps in to share a related comment. The fast pace, the continual interruptions, the background noise. People covering their mouths when they speak, sometimes speaking in the opposite direction. Everyone seems to keep up, to be enjoying themselves, laughing and smiling at the appropriate times, relishing the connectedness with old and new friends. Everyone except those with hearing loss.

Overwhelmed by the layers of chatter and only catching bits and pieces of the conversation can make people with hearing loss feel alone and isolated in this situation. And because it’s been an awkward and embarrassing experience, some will decline the next dinner party invitation with friends. We’re only just beginning to appreciate the importance of hearing and the true cost of ignoring a loss to what is arguably our most undervalued sense.

Important new research

On average, people wait 8.9 years from the time of realising they have a hearing loss until they take action (Time From Hearing Aid Candidacy to Hearing Aid Adoption: A Longitudinal Cohort Study Simpson, et.al, Medical Univ. of South Carolina, Ear and Hearing 2018). But according to a study in the Journal of Otolaryngology, people who wait 10 years have a:

52% higher risk of dementia41% increased chance of depression29% higher risk of falls

If the impact on socialising with friends isn’t enough to impel you to do something about your hearing loss sooner rather than later, these statistics just might.

If you can relate, contact our team to discuss your hearing needs.

Our brains gradually shrink as we age. It’s inevitable. But this brain tissue loss occurs faster in older adults with hearing loss according to a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the American National Institute on Aging.

Analysis of MRIs from the longitudinal study revealed that those with impaired hearing experienced more than an additional cubic centimetre of brain tissue shrinkage each year compared with those with normal hearing.

Not surprisingly, the areas of the brain most affected are those responsible for processing sound and speech. Researcher Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D. says “shrinkage in those areas might simply be a consequence of an ‘impoverished’ auditory cortex, which could become atrophied from lack of stimulation.”

Lin went on to give some urgency to treating hearing loss sooner rather than later, before these potential brain structural changes take place.

For further information, visit: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_accelerated_brain_tissue_loss_

Hearing loss can be a major source of frustration in relationships, with the hearing partner constantly being asked to repeat what they have said. But a newly published study in the Hearing Review has found that the issues can run much deeper than that.

The researchers suggest that the natural back and forth of conversation is interrupted, affecting connectedness, spontaneity and the sharing of observations, small talk and unexpected experiences. Hearing partners said that in order to ensure the person with hearing loss understands them correctly, they tend to filter their language. And they felt that having to repeat themselves time and time again causes them to sound annoyed when conversing with their partner.

Couples indicated that communication in background noise was particularly difficult, such as at restaurants, pubs, shopping centres, cars and on public transport.

Brad Hutchinson Hearing can help. Call one of our four clinics to make a booking. Spouses welcome, moreover encouraged at the appointment.

Source: Tjørnhøj-Thomsen T, Henrik Philipsen H. Hearing Loss as a Social Problem: A Study of Hearing-impaired Spouses and Their Hearing Partners. Hearing Review, 2019.

If you feel like people mumble and find yourself having to ask others to repeat themselves, it might be worth considering a hearing test. Speech clarity issues are usually the first noticeable sign of hearing loss and can be very frustrating – both for you and those around you.

You’ll likely notice particular difficulty hearing in noisy situations such as in restaurants and at sporting clubs, and you may even find yourself avoiding these situations. Overall, you’ll probably find it increasingly difficult to participate in conversations.

If this sounds like you, then come in for a hearing test with one of our experienced professionals. Our team specialises in helping people to hear speech as clearly as possible.

Many people experience a bit of tinnitus every now and then which can sound like ringing, buzzing, clicking, crickets or roaring sounds, even heartbeats. While some people take little notice, the effects can be quite debilitating for others. These unwelcome noises can result in difficulties concentrating, in relaxing and some suffer sleep deprivation.

It’s a good idea to avoid loud sounds (which are often unpleasant for tinnitus sufferers anyway) and to also stay clear of quiet environments which tend to make the tinnitus seem louder and more noticeable. During the day it can help to have music playing in the background and in bed at night to have a bedside noise generator playing quiet sounds to distract your attention from the annoying sounds.

There are many causes of tinnitus; the most common is hearing loss, even if it’s only minimal and sometimes undetected by the sufferer. In some cases tinnitus causes stress and anxiety in a person’s life which can seemingly exacerbate the condition.

Sufferers will be pleased to know that tinnitus treatment options are now more effective than ever so contact our team for further information.

Just like a car, hearing aids need regular servicing and tuning (reprogramming) to keep them functioning at their best. After all, they are tiny computers that live in or around the moist and warm environment of an ear canal!

Hearing aids should be serviced at least annually or as soon as you feel that the hearing aid isn’t working to its former standard. We would like to invite private clients to take advantage of a limited-time offer to have your hearing aids serviced, firmware upgraded (if needed), your hearing tested and hearing aids reprogrammed for only $90.00. Government clients are entitled to a free annual servicing every 12 months.

Why is this servicing appointment important? Firstly, to extend the longevity of your aids and second, many clients report much improved hearing following their hearing aid servicing appointment.

Call our team on 9228 9928 to make a booking.

Ear wax removal is a very popular service at our clinics. Brad Hutchinson Hearing offers three methods of ear wax removal - curettage, micro-suction and hydro-extraction. It is sometimes necessary to use all three methods to achieve and excellent result.

Throw away your cotton buds with can result in increased amounts of wax deep and impacted wax in your ear canal, and make an appointment to have your ear wax removed by one of our professional staff. GP referrals are not necessary.

Known as Arnold's Cough Reflex, the presence of an irritant in the ear canal can result in chronic coughing. This is not the only cause of the condition, but for some sufferers it is the underlying reason and when left untreated, the coughing can persist for weeks, months, even years.

Fortunately there is a simple solution - removal of the irritant from the ear canal. the irritant may be in the form of earwax, hair or a foreign biddy deep in the ear canal, and physically touching nerve endings responsible for triggering the Arnold's Cough Reflex.

If you have tried everything and nothing has stopped the cough, this may be the hidden cause. Contact our team to arrange a consultation

This can be achieved by removing the sticker on your battery 5 minutes before putting it into you rehearing aid. Once the sticker is off, the battery is activated. Oxygen floods the battery and a chemical reaction initiates with the zinc in the battery. This reaction is optimised after 5 minutes.

Audiologists have noticed for some time that people who are good hearing aid wearers i.e., they wear their aids all day every day, just seemed to be in better health, more spritely and more socially active. Now almost as a weekly ritual, new research is coming out of universities to support what we often see in our clinic rooms.

A recent study at John Hopkins University looked at 253 people with an average age of 77 years with a range of hearing loss from mild to severe. They tested these individuals on tasks related to memory, learning, language and processing speed/attention over 23 years. It was generally seen that those individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss declined in their ability to perform these tasks over the 20 years, yet those individuals who were not good hearing aid users declined the most. Most interesting was that those individuals who wore their hearing aids regularly declined only slightly compared to a group of similarly aged individuals with no hearing loss at all!

So while we cannot yet say that hearing aids prevent cognitive decline, there is definitely a stronger link between hearing loss, cognitive decline and memory issues in individuals with untreated hearing loss than in those wearing hearing aids.

I also thought you’d be interested in the bit of ‘amateur’ research by a school student in the USA which tells us how to extend the life of hearing aid batteries, published on May 5, 2015. Batteries cost money and we need to get as much out of each and every one as we can.

Ethan Manuell is a grade 8 student at a school in Minnesota, USA. He wears a left hearing aid. He and his audiologist, Mary Meier Au.D, looked at the effect a wait time would have on hearing aid batteries, that is, the time lag between activating the battery by removing the protective sticky label from the back and placing the battery in the hearing aid. Activation occurs when oxygen is able to mix with zinc-oxide inside the battery. Ethan found that if users wait 5 minutes from the time they pull the sticker off, the battery can last 2-3 days longer, a pretty amazing find considering batteries usually last anywhere from 2-7 days, depending on how much power they are generating.

For Ethan, the increase in battery life for his hearing aid was as much as 80%.

Ethan was awarded the US Naval Science Award for his “5 minute rule” discovery and further recognition though several other awards. We hope he makes more amazing money-saving discoveries over the years ahead of him.

Like most things, the more we use something, the more benefit we receive from it. Unfortunately this means that the item often succumbs to the wear and tear of the frequent use. This is definitely the case for hearing aids, but keeping your aids in the drawer for that special occasion doesn’t do anyone any favours. Nevertheless, there are a few things you can do to get more life from your aids:

1: Regular check-ups with your Audiologist.

At an appointment, we will serviceyour hearing aids. This is no different from servicing your car. It keeps your hearing aids running smoothly, but also gives us a chance to pick up any minor problems before they become big problems. Typically, we would recommend that you see us at least once a year – even if everything is going well. For those people who wear their hearing aids in tough environments i.e., dust, hot sweaty weather, then six monthly appointments may be required.

2: Try and keep on top of moisture build-up.

The majority of hearing aids these days have a nano-coating on them that helps repel moisture, yet this technology is not foolproof. You also don’t need to wear them while showering to have moisture problems in your hearing aids. Unfortunately, we all sweat and all the more in summer. Our hearing aids are also affected by moisture present in the air. For even a small cost, home drying kits can be purchased. These kits aim to draw out moisture each time you use the device. It is generally recommended that the aids go in the drying kit each night before your head hits the pillow.

3: Try to prevent dust/dirt from getting into your hearing aids.

This is largely a problem if you work in dusty conditions, or if you touch your hearing aids with unclean hands. It is recommended that when you handle your hearing aids, you have recently washed your hands. We understand that this is not always possible which is why it’s so important to give your hearing aids a clean each day. If you work in dusty conditions, then hearing aid ‘socks’ are available to purchase for most hearing aids that sit up over your ear. Or if you or someone you know is handy with some thread and needle, you can create your own ‘sock’ out of bandage material. If you do create your own, it is important that the material is porous enough to still let sound in.

4: Keeping wax from blocking up your hearing aid.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some people) hearing aids are much smaller than they used to be, which means it takes very little wax to block sound from leaving the hearing aid and reaching your ear. Daily and thorough cleaning of your hearing aids means there is a smaller chance of wax blockages. Some hearing aids will also have filters in them which aim to reduce wax from entering the electronics. If you have these, it is important you know how and when to change them. If you are unsure how to change them, or whether you even have them, you can always pop in without an appointmentto be helped over the counter. As far as when to change them, this only needs to happen when your hearing aid has stopped working. When this is the case, most people will report that they either feel like they are wearing an earplug rather than a hearing aid, or there is no improvement in their hearing when the aid is turned on. It is important first to check that the battery is not the cause and if not, then replace the filter.

In all, keeping your hearing aids clean and serviced can help to prolong their lives and ensure you are getting the most out of them.

Audiologist Ceri Lloyd.

How do I clean my ears?

The short answer is you don't need to. Majority of people that come to me with impacted wax issues do so because the attempt to clean their ears by means of cotton buds. unfortunately this disrupts the natural series of events in your ear which continually aims to rid your rear of wax. Not using cotton buds also stops me sounding like a robot as I tell client after client not to put cotton buds in their ears!

So what is this 'natural series of events which cleans my ears'?

Your ear is one of the truly marvellous structures in the body. Not only does it allow you to have incredibly distinct hearing, it also is a cleaning machine. The bottom line is the wax you produce is like the washing up liquid that you use on your dishes. It’s clean, full of antibacterial and antifungal properties and protects your very delicate skin from harm. Little glands under the skin in your ear canal are responsible for secreting wax. It then travels along your ear canal towards the entrance of your ear, bringing with it loose skin cells, dirt and pathogens. Then as you shower, the water rinses it from the entrance. Like everything, as you get older bodily functions don’t work as well and as a result some things require a little assistance along the way.

What is the best way to clean my ears?

There are a number of products on the market suitable to help ease the wax naturally to the entrance of your ear canal. Generally the softer your ear wax is, the more easily your ears can do its cleaning job. All of the products that you can purchase at the chemist (waxsol, cerumol etc.) generally aim at softening wax, not dissolving it – a common misconception. There are also some home remedies which are just as effective and significantly cheaper. These are plain boring olive oil or a mixture of bicarb soda and water. So, whilst chemist option soften wax, you’ll pay a fair bit more for it. They are also a combination of chemicals, so you can’t be entirely sure if what you are putting in your ears are safe. On the contrary, I know of no reports of discomfort or adverse reactions to using olive oil.

Why not use cotton buds?

Ever been told not to put something bigger that your elbow in your ear? Well below is why. Cotton buds, no matter how delicate you are, or how good your ‘scooping’ technique is, does not effectively or safely remove wax. In reality it pushes wax down to the base of your ear canal where it will remain until it is often physical removed by a GP, Audiologist or ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist). Pushing the wax down also caused the wax to become compacted (think the consistency of clay, when it may normally be the consistency of honey). If you continue to push it down your ears it will build up until you have a big plug. There is also a chance that when it is almost fully occluded, water will slip behind your wax plug and you have now created a lovely environment for a fungal infection. By using cotton buds, you also remove the waxy lining from the outer part of your ear canal which serves to protect your ear with its antibacterial and antifungal properties. So now, not only have you not cleaned your ears, you have increased the chance that you will require courses of antifungal or antibiotic drops to relieve the problem you have created. Unfortunately, this is all too common in our clinic.

What about ear candling?

Whilst the idea and ‘science’ around ear candling seems legitimate at first, there is actually many significant scientific flaws which means it is an unsafe and ineffective method for wax removal. There have been reported incidences of burns, perforated ear drums and candle wax occluding the ear canal. The idea of ear candling is that the heat from the candle produces enough negative pressure to vacuum the wax out of the ear canal. Unfortunately research has shown that ear candling does not create a great enough pressure to remove wax and if it did it would also rupture your ear drum in the process. The residue that you see on the remaining candle after you have used it is nothing more that the ash and burnt candle that you have just used (Seely et al). So I hope that this has also discouraged you from this seemingly simple home remedy!

I know I have a big plug of wax in my ears, what should I do now?

Book in to see us for wax removal. We are the first port of call for anything ear related. If we have concerns about the health of your ears, we may also then request that you see your GP for their opinion and medical management. We deal with wax removal on a daily basis and therefor are highly skilled and knowledgeable about the safest and least painful way to remove wax. Your GP can also arrange wax removal, however this procedure is then often left for the clinic nurses to manage. Their scope of practice is broad, and wax removal is only a small part of their job.

What can I expect if I came to Brad Hutchinson Hearing for Wax removal?

We will first ask you to complete a questionnaire to determine if there might be anything more serious than a wax problem. The audiologist will then use a camera to put your ears on a big screen. You will see for yourself if there is wax present or not. Depending on the type of wax (hard, soft) or the depth of the wax we often choose between using a small curette (like a pick) to safely remove the wax, or via a suction machine.

References:

Seely DR, Quigley SM , Langman AW. (1996) Ear candles: Efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope 106:1226-1229

I grew up on a farm and I have a clear memory of sitting on my Father’s lap in his Ford 5000 open cab tractor. He leant over, put the earmuffs on me while he had nothing on his ears. Of course at the time, I thought nothing of it. It is not until many years later that I can now see the flaws in this false sense of security. The muffs were old, I mean really old. They had open wounds in the padding the size of earthquake cracks. And don’t get me started on that old open-cab tractor. And finally, where were my Father’s earmuffs? Of course, a quarter of a century later, everything has progressed: tractors have cabs, there are more options with hearing protection and we all now know better. Or so I thought…

I recently went back to where I grew up to visit all my large extended family, the majority of whom are farmers and have been since they were children, learning from their Fathers. They have all done well, survived drought after drought and flood after flood. It doesn’t take long for them to get around to talking about hearing and I am curious to quiz them on what they know. I soon start hearing things such as: “I picked up a chainsaw today … used it for ten minutes and wouldn’t even think about ear muffs for that. If it’s for such a short time, I don’t need to protect my ears for that, right?” and then: “I wear my earmuffs on the tractor, so I am safe, right?” And finally: “I just fired off a few rounds, it’s loud, but it’s over in a split second. No point going to the hassle of getting my hearing protection out for that, right?” I felt a bit dizzy having listened to this information, but recovered my composure and told them they were all wrong. And didn’t that open a can of worms!

Below are some fun facts about farmers and hearing loss. I hope it motivates you to think more about something really major, a priority matter in your life that is especially important in keeping you in contact with your friends and family:

Dangerous noise levels are intensity (volume) and time dependent. However, wearing hearing protection lowers the noise level which allows you more time before reaching a dangerous level. If you exceed that time, you are still at risk of damaging your hearing;Estimated noise levels during harvest can range up to 90dB. Using the table below, this suggests that you can be around harvesting equipment for approximately 2 hours unprotected before causing hearing damage;There is no safe level of exposure for large calibre guns. One shot is enough to damage your hearing;Break your day up into noisy and quiet jobs, thus lowering your daily dosage;Keep farming equipment such and tractors and chainsaws in good repair. Well-functioning equipment is quieter. Check for worn bearings, slackness between worn or loose parts, poor lubrication between moving parts, blunt blades, removal of silencing equipment such as mufflers, guards, vibration isolators and loss of effectiveness in door/window seals;Think about what noise you are adding to the situation. Do you have the radio or two way radio on unnecessarily;If you are interested in knowing your noise dosage, download a noise dosimeter on your smart phone and take an average for your working day (make sure it measures dBA so you can compare it with the table here);Have regular hearing tests (every 2 years) to see if your hearing is deteriorating;If it is, then do something about it before you start losing brain mass.

What hearing protection is the right for me?

Personal hearing protection largely comes down to personal choice and what best suits the job. It’s advisable to try a few pairs and see what works for you. It’s a bit like buying new shoes –some will be a better fit over others. Ear muffs can be put on quickly and easily with little need to worry about whether they are sitting correctly. They are a bit more expensive, so chances are you won’t scatter as many around your farm or replace them as frequently as you should. They are also not suitable for jobs where you might have to wear a helmet or mask i.e., welding. Ear plugs are cheap, disposable and as a result you can have them in every nook and cranny possible. You could even leave a box on your ute’s passenger seat and put a packet in your pocket each morning. The downside is that they are rarely inserted correctly and to put them in correctly takes time. If you are unfortunate to suffer from ear infections, they may also aggravate the condition if you wear them for long periods, or are not overly clean when you insert them. If you are doing particularly noisy work, such as banging steel or using a firearm, then often one form of protection alone is not enough. In such case it is recommended that you use plugs and muffs (that there is a sign at how dangerous that noise it). There are also custom made earplugs which are easy to insert, they do a really great job and don’t interfere with other safety equipment such as helmets. They do come at a higher price, but you can be certain you are protecting your ears in the most efficient manner. They are small enough to fit in your pocket, or they can be ordered with a neck cord long enough to store them around your neck, and under your shirt. If you have questions about custom made ear plugs, or would like to organise a pair, please contact us and we can get you sorted.

So what if I get a hearing loss ….. I’ll be old by then anyway:

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you likely won’t be ‘old’ when you get a hearing loss. I fit hearing aids regularly to farmers in their forties and fifties. Research also suggests that most hearing loss occurs in the first 10 years of exposure to noise. Therefore, if you grow up on a farm and start helping out in your mid-teens, there is a good chance that by your mid-twenties there will be evidence of permanent hearing damage. But did you know that noise (not hearing loss) is also associated with:

Increased stressSleep disturbanceTirednessHeadachesLoss of concentration – increased risk of accidentsChanges in blood pressureChanges in heart rateDecline in productivityDecreased work efficiencyDigestion problems from reduced gastric activity

My message is loud and clear to look after your hearing well so that the rest of your life is eventful and happy, to be enjoyed and in company. It’s a lonely old life if you can’t join in on the fun, and if it’s a burden to have to go to functions and sit and watch others laughing and joking while you’re feeling left right out. So I’d like to suggest that you get onto looking after your hearing right away.

References:

http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/uploaded_files/CoPManagingNoisePreventingHearingLossWork.pdfPlakke, B & Dare, E ‘Occupational Hearing Loss in Farmers’ Public Health Reports 107, No. 2 (Mar. – Apr., 1992), pp. 188-192http://www.hearnet.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Farmers-and-hearing-loss-factsheet-The-Australian-Centre-for-Agricultural-Health-and-Safety.pdfColeman, M ‘Dangerous Noise Levels Leave Farmers at risk for Hearing Loss’ The Hearing Journal, May 2012 – Vol 65 Issue 5http://www.farmnoise.on.net/fact41.htmMariola Sliwinska-Kowalska, Adrian DavisSliwinska-Kowalska M Davis A ‘Noise Induced Hearing Loss’ , Noise and Health Year : 2012 Vol 14 Issue 61Ehlers JJ, Graydon PS. ‘Noise-induced hearing loss in agriculture: Creating partnerships to overcome barriers and educate the community on prevention’, Noise Health 2011 Vol13http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/gpcah/resources/hearing-loss.htmlhttp://www.farmnoise.on.net/fact11.htm

Those of you who have already come into one of our clinics and had an appointmentwith me will probably have discovered that I wearhearing aids. People are often surprised by this and even more so when they discover that the hearing aids I wear are those ‘horrible things that go over your ears’. They then look really closely and see that mine are in fact quite discrete, even with my hair back in a pony tail. My hearing lossor hearing aid use is no secret and I would never want it to be that way. With this is mind, I thought I would talk about my hearing loss story.

I was already studying at the University of Western Australia to become an Audiologist when my hearing loss was first confirmed, but it had been a long running joke with my friends since I was about 15 years old. Looking back, there were so many obvious signs that were ignored. I was born at a time when there was no neonatal hospital hearing screening, and hearing screening before entering primary school was unheard of. So the exact onset of my hearing loss remains a mystery – perhaps forever that way. The first signs probably should have been picked up when I would jump in the car with my Mum and there would be a constant battle between us for how loud the car radio should be. I wanted it loud enough so I could sing along, and my Mother thought I was just being a difficult child. In the end we decided that Mum was sensitive to sound– no thought was ever given to my hearing.

At school, I just got on with things. Looking back though I was so tired coming home from school each day. Knowing what I do now, a hearing loss will absolutely make a child tired from all that extra effort they have to put in to hear what the teacher is saying. I disliked attention from my teacher and school peers, so I simply got on with my work. I always wonder whether my hearing loss might have been detected sooner had I been a naughty child.

At the age of 15 I went to Sweden for 12 months as an exchange student. There my closest friends were exchange students from other countries. They all had accents and English for the most part was their second (or even third or fourth) language. They started making jokes about how they could always understand each other when we spoke in English, but I couldn’t – my native tongue! As for Swedish – for the first time in my life I found something really hard to learn. Some of the words just sounded the same and I was always getting corrected on my pronunciation.

On my return to Australia, I started at a new high school and after several months, I confided to two of my new school friends that I thought I had a hearing loss. To my surprise this was not news to them. They had already noticed. A few weeks later all three of us were sitting in physics class and while we were doing our work, our teacher was up the front playing with a microphone and some speakers. Next thing, everyone in the classroom was covering their ears complaining of the awful feedback noise he was creating. I just sat there looking confused as to why everyone was so upset. I heard none of it.

Later at Sydney University studying my Bachelors of Science in hearing and speech, again my new friends picked up on it quite quickly. They suggested that we try and arrange a hearing test to be done at the campus. Like most things, I just never quite got around to it. By this point, I had suspected a hearing loss for over six years and the amount of miscommunication I was having was becoming quite a joke between myself and my friends.

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