'I can hear the finer details, I’m no longer asking people to repeat what they’ve said,' says Cork County Mayor

Everyday life would be a very different experience without good hearing.

To contribute effectively to conversations at work; to have awareness of road traffic during a walk; to always catch the punchline at the end of a story. These are things we take for granted when we have good hearing, but what do we do when our ability to hear well begins to decline?

The Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists says permanent acquired hearing loss affects 1 in 12 of the adult population in Ireland, rising to 50% in the over-70 age group. But hearing loss can happen to anyone at any stage of life. Prioritising one's hearing should be as normal as eye or dental exams or an annual check-up with a doctor; after all, hearing care is healthcare.

Faye Hueston is an experienced audiologist at Hidden Hearing, Ireland’s leading provider of hearing solutions, with an 85-clinic network serving communities in Ireland.

“Hearing declines over time or with exposure to noise and keeps declining as we get older. Our hearing can also be a good indicator of other potential health concerns, so it’s important to not ignore any sudden changes. Changes in medication, other health complications or damage to the ear or ear drum can cause further hearing loss. But we can slow the decline of hearing by wearing hearing aids, so Hidden Hearing recommends testing yearly for someone experiencing hearing loss.”

Changes in how you hear and experience the world can change your perception. For most, good hearing is essential.

Mayor of County Cork, Joe Carroll, was fitted with hearing aids two years ago. Recently, he took up Hidden Hearing’s offer to upgrade to Oticon Intent — the world's first AI-powered hearing aid.

“It is very important to listen to people and what their concerns are. It’s not just about listening but also understanding, but you can’t understand unless you can listen well!”

Earlier this year, Mayor Carroll was contacted by Hidden Hearing about their summer trade-in offer, and invited to upgrade to the most advanced hearing aids ever.

The offer included a 90-day money-back guarantee, as standard, allowing him to experience this new benchmark in hearing care technology with total peace of mind.

“I am very grateful to have had this assistance and expert advice from Hidden Hearing,” says Mayor Carroll. “The Oticon Intent hearing aids are much better and stronger. I can hear more around me; I no longer have to look straight at people to hear what they are saying. I don’t have to ask people to repeat what they say anymore.”

“Their power really comes into play when I am at a conference. A few months ago, I was at a conference with a very important speaker. I was a bit far away up the room, but I adjusted the volume up and could hear much better. I found them very useful.”

Hidden Hearing audiologist, Faye Hueston, recognised Oticon Intent as ideal for Mayor Carroll.

“I recognised this groundbreaking technology would give the Mayor a greater advantage in the busy role he has undertaken for the people of Cork. He was continually changing between challenging listening environments from meetings to functions, from speeches to events, and Joe’s hearing aids needed to be as adaptable as possible,” says Faye.

“The new Oticon Intent are the most natural sounding hearing aids we’ve ever had, put simply it’s our best technology yet. Dynamic background noise reduction features coupled with AI technology means loud environments are much more comfortable for him, and he can also personally adapt the aids further to suit. Communication is key for the mayor and hearing aids enable him to communicate more effectively in all situations.”

Outside of public life, Mayor Carroll enjoys socialising, but this has not always been easy.

“When socialising, you can’t be missing the fun or the punchline of a story. That has all greatly improved that for me with the assistance of Oticon Intent from Hidden Hearing.”

Truly personalised care is at the heart of all Hidden Hearing do. This requires an individualised approach to treatment, taking time to understand what each patient’s hearing means to them and combining deep audiological expertise with advanced diagnostic equipment for treatment and fitting.

Faye Hueston explains more about what an audiologist does, and how she tailors hearing solutions to each of her patients.

“A Hidden Hearing audiologist provides free hearing tests as part of our wellness program. We discuss a patient’s hearing health history and check the health of the ear. We perform audiometric testing which shows us the degree of hearing loss and perform speech mapping, allowing us to see how hearing loss is affecting the patient in their daily life. This gives us the big picture of a person’s hearing health to formulate a treatment plan and prescribe hearing aids, if needed, to ensure the best course of action.”

Hearing aids are tailored to the patient’s individual needs to improve their daily life — just as they did with Mayor Carroll.

“We ask each patient to tell us their story; where are they struggling, what have they noticed, any on-going problems or is this something new developing. Our tests determine if there’s a medical issue to be referred on or is the hearing loss something that can be treated through the clinic. Hearing aids are calibrated to the patient’s audiometric test, their experience while wearing the aids, and are fitted to the individual shape of each patient’s ear.”

Every Hidden Hearing patient receives a lifetime of free aftercare, enabling them to get the most out of their hearing aids, and if their hearing changes over time, can be re-prescribed to suit.

“The relationship between myself and the patient is paramount as each patient is an expert on their own experience. The more they tell me the more I can tailor their care,” says Faye.

With clinics around the country, access to a Hidden Hearing audiologist is easy. As a West Cork man, Mayor Carroll accessed his treatment through a clinic based in Clonakilty’s Primary Care Centre.

“It’s ideally situated for me,” says Mayor Carroll. “It’s very accessible, and my audiologist, Faye, has given me great advice. It’s a wonderful service for West Cork, and across the country.”

Oticon Intent Hearing Aids are equipped with life-changing hearing technology. Sensor driven BrainHearing™ technology comprehends your movements, conversation patterns and environments and dynamically adapts to your specific listening requirements, ensuring optimal clarity and delivering an exceptionally tailored hearing experience. The rechargeable Oticon Intent seamlessly connects to a range of devices via Bluetooth, all with a discreet design for greater discretion and comfort, and quick-charging facility.

This November, Hidden Hearing are celebrating 35 years of providing expert hearing care in Ireland. To mark this incredible milestone, they are offering €2,000 off state-of-the-art hearing aids.

Don’t qualify for PRSI? Don’t worry, this offer is for everyone.

Book a FREE hearing test at a Hidden Hearing clinic nationwide to avail of this limited-time offer and find out how they can help you stay connected to the sounds you love most.

Freephone 1800 370 000 to book a free hearing test or visit www.hiddenhearing.ie.