By ANDREW HUMPHRIES
WHEN I left school I began working in factories amid loud machinery and, for fun, I played piano in bands three nights weekly without considering the damage to my ears.
Eventually I started having trouble understanding conversations and noticing high notes on the piano were disappearing.
I started lip-reading, trying to piece stories together from the words I could recognise.
I eventually had a series of tests and stopped playing in bands to avoid any further damage. Now I have to wear hearing protection any time I’m around loud noises.
Then I was advised to wear hearing devices, which I’ve worn for seven years with great success.
New digital hearing aids can be programmed by well-trained professionals to suit individual needs.
Many digital aids on the market, nearly all with blue-tooth connectivity to mobile phones or TVs.
I recently contacted Hearing Aid Specialists, at 77 Yarra St, Geelong, which was offering trials of new products.
The clinic’s Marcel Timmers and I had a long chat about my hearing history and he tested me to determine the best outcome for my hearing loss.
A pair of Oticon Alta Pro hearing devices was programmed for me to try.
I immediately noticed how clear everything sounded. The Alta Pro’s noise compression allowed me to focus on speech around me while quietening traffic noise.
It is very noticeable how well the noise compression works. I was out with friends for dinner at a very noisy restaurant recently and was able to understand multiple conversations, which I think was due to the directional microphones following where I was looking and the computer doing all the background noise-cancelling to make my dinner out a very enjoyable experience.
My previous hearing aids could cancel out background noise but were less clear and accurate.
I’ve also noticed a big change when listening to radio in my car. The Alta Pro devices seem to pick out the announcer’s voice from the mix of car engine and road noise.
Marcel has tailored a specific music program for my Alta Pros, allowing me to hear high notes on the piano again.
I can now enjoy conversations with family and friends, watch movies, TV, listen to music and enjoy life again.
Anyone with hearing problems should contact Marcel at Hearing Aid Specialists to enjoy life again, too.
