Hucknall woman has her world transformed by new hearing aids

Caroline Mason, aged 35, has suffered from moderate hearing loss since childhood and had been considering getting new hearing aids for some time.

The yoga instructor said: “After a recent visit to Specsavers in Hucknall with my Grandma, I decided to take the leap.

"It felt like the right time to make a change and I’ve not looked back since.

“I had not anticipated the marked difference my new hearing aids would make and what an instant positive impact they would have, not just to my personal life but my professional life too.

"I have been so energised and inspired by the transformation.

"Over the years my hearing has deteriorated and I have come to terms with that and I’m thankful not only for the hearing I do have but the technology advances which mean I can connect with people in settings I haven’t been able to do before.

“Since I’ve had my new hearing aids, I’m wearing them in new social situations that I couldn’t wear them in before.

"Recently, I was teaching at a yoga retreat and normally I would have had to take my hearing aids out near to water so would have missed out on interactions by the pool or on the water’s edge.

"But now, thanks to increased functionality and the fact my new hearing aids are waterproof, I have the freedom to join in.”

Caroline’s hearing loss didn’t get detected until she started school and she was referred to Ropewalk House children’s audiology department in Nottingham.

Subsequently, she began wearing one hearing aid and although her friends in primary school were supportive it was when she started secondary school and she had to start wearing hearing aids in both ears she became increasingly uncomfortable and embarrassed and stopped wearing them altogether for a while.

She continued: “Thankfully I wasn’t bullied in my teens, but I just became incredibly self-conscious.

“My hearing aids were a lot more noticeable than the ones I wear now.

‘I was struggling to get by not wearing them – I was surviving rather than thriving, reluctant to ask people to repeat themselves and then missing out on details and conversations.

"Often, I ended up just agreeing with what was being said to save myself the embarrassment of asking people to say things again.

“I’ve been inspired to share my hearing loss journey recently by vlogging on my YouTube channel, ‘Caroline Inspired’, and have been so touched by the amount of people that have got in contact to say how much my story has resonated with them.

"They’ve said that it has inspired them to wear their hearing aids again and how important it is that more young people with hearing loss are represented.”

Jessica Rigley, audiologist at Hucknall Specsavers, said: “The stigma surrounding hearing aids remains a hurdle for many people, but it should be a thing of the past.

"Years ago, they were often bulky and uncomfortable.

"But, like other electronics, they have dramatically changed.

"The fact is that hearing aids help to manage hearing loss, so any negative perception is a problem we really need to challenge.

"If you notice a sudden or gradual change in your hearing, it’s crucial you get it checked as soon as possible, no matter what your age.”