Don’t Think Twice about hearing loss

Today Frankie Valli, the American singer and frontman of The Four Seasons, celebrates his 83^rd birthday.

One of the best-selling musical groups of all time, having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, The Four Seasons’ hits include; Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, Ragdoll and December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).

Throughout his musical career Frankie Valli has enjoyed incredible success, but his ears have paid the price from years of exposure to loud noise. Working in the music industry since the early 50s has taken its toll on Frankie’s hearing. Frankie said, “In 1967, I found out I was losing my hearing. I went 10 years without any help.”

But waiting so long to take action on his hearing loss is not unusual. According to Action on Hearing Loss, 10 years is the average amount of time people take to address their hearing loss.

But the sooner you do something about it the better. Over time, reduced stimulation to your ears and brain can actually impair the brain’s ability to process sound and recognise speech. The more speech recognition deteriorates, the more difficult it is to recover. And when you can’t hear what’s going on around you, your mental sharpness suffers. The sooner you take action, the sooner you put a stop to the negative effects of hearing loss, and the sooner you begin to regain sharpness, confidence and control.

It can be very difficult to recognise the problem yourself, as most people with a hearing impairment hear OK in quiet places. If you’re not sure, ask yourself if any of these common signs of hearing loss apply to you:

• Asking others to repeat themselves
• Turning up the TV or radio to volume levels others find loud
• Having trouble understanding conversation in noisy places
• Feeling like other people mumble or slur their words
• Having trouble hearing women's and children's voices
• Having trouble hearing on the telephone
• Feeling more irritable or depressed
• Avoiding social situations that were once enjoyable
• Having difficulty following a fast-moving conversation
• Missing important information in meetings
• Being told by others that you have hearing loss

If in doubt Don't Think Twice - visit a trained hearing professional. They can determine the severity of your hearing problem, whether or not you could benefit from a hearing aid and which type would be best for you.

To book your free initial assessment with the experts at Mary Hare Hearing Centre call 01635 523 343 or email newburycentre@maryhare.org.uk