I had hearing aids fitted today. A year or so back I decided to get a hearing test, not because I’d noticed any distinct hearing loss as such, but because I’ve suffered from tinnitus for several years. Thankfully, although the tinnitus is always present, my brain mostly filters it out and I don’t really notice it unless I stop and “listen” for it. Nevertheless, I felt that getting my hearing checked might be a good idea.

The result of the test was that I found I had some partial high-frequency hearing loss. Not really enough to notice a problem (although I have found that it can be more difficult to follow conversations in certain noisy environments, such as restaurants), but still something worth treating – especially as, apparently, if you don’t treat such loss then, over time, your brain can “forget” the frequencies it no longer receives at which point no corrective action is possible.

As my initial diagnosis was through a high street provider, the only options they had for hearing aids from them would have to be paid for (and believe me, hearing aids are not cheap, with some costing several thousand Pounds for a pair!). Thankfully, it’s also possible to get free hearing aids in the UK via the NHS, although the range may be more limited than that which is available privately. But, given the cost otherwise, I felt trying the free option first would be a good plan.

The downside of going via the NHS is the lengthy waiting lists that can be involved, and after visiting my GP to get the ball rolling, they advised me to contact the three closest NHS trusts to see which had the shortest waiting list so they could refer me to the relevant audiology department. It was a six week wait for the consultation, but it has then taken another nine months until today when I actually got the hearing aids fitted.

I’m now sat typing with them feeding me a newly amplified range of sounds (I ‘d forgotten the range of clickety noises that the keyboard makes when you can hear it properly!), which is nice. The devices are pretty small and unobtrusive, and not causing much in the way of discomfort – they itch a little, but I think I’ll get used to the sensation of them being in my ears fairly quickly.

I’d have preferred not to have needed hearing aids if I’m honest, but a combination of getting older (although I’m not that old yet) and, I suspect, damaging my hearing through the over use of headphones and loud music (and probably videogames too – particularly Battlefield, which effectively placed me in an aural warzone…) has led me to this point. I’m thankful to have access to the means to correct the condition, especially given I’ve gotten the treatment at no cost.

I appreciate that this has the sum total of zero connection with the photography stuff I normally post about, but it feels like a significant enough event to memorialise here on the blog.

But here’s a picture of an old car. It’s not as old as me though, so it’s ears are probably still fine. 🙂

Olympus OM-10, Zuiko Auto-S 35mm f/2.8 & Kodak Gold. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 3 May 2025