Ear Care – FAQ

If you haven’t worn hearing aids before or have experienced a very sudden, reasonably noticeable reduction in your hearing then yes, you need to see your Dr.  Ideally as soon as possible.  There are various reasons for a drastic and immediate loss of hearing.  From an obstruction, for example impacted wax or a ‘foreign object’, to a virus or possibly even a perforated ear drum.  It is really important to rule out anything physical and obvious first.  If your Dr cannot see any other explanation or potential treatment options then they can refer you to the Hearing Department at your local hospital or, depending on your age, one of the other providers who provide ear care.

Your ear care is important to use. If you haven’t previously worn hearing aids then yes, you do need to see an audiologist (possibly after ruling anything physical out at the Dr).  It is vital to get your ears really carefully checked and a professional audiogram carried out. Your hearing aids will initially be programmed based on the results of your audiogram.  So it is important any testing is carried out on calibrated equipment in a very acoustically controlled environment.  If you already wear hearing aids and are just doing a yearly check or feel that there may have been a slight change in your prescription then with the newer models of hearing aids this can be done remotely through your current hearing aids.  Which will mean that you won’t need to go and see an audiologist.  Which may be very helpful if you have mobility needs or difficulty getting to an audiologist’s office.  We can help you book your audiology appointment and in many cases this can be carried out in your own home.

If you have any level, even a mild to moderate level of hearing loss then yes, you definitely do need hearing aids and the sooner the better.  We’ve gone into a much ‘deeper dive’ on the subject in this blog post.  However, in the very briefest layman terms we now know through extensive scientific research that any level of mild to moderate hearing loss very quickly leads to physical changes in the brain.  The good news is that these changes are entirely reversible with early intervention.  The bad news is that left untreated these changes become entrenched and permanent.  Difficulty deciphering speech in a noisy, busy environment is one of the first difficulties experienced with initial mild to moderate hearing loss.  This makes listening very effortful and tiring.  That and a diminished ability to follow and engage in the conversation quite quickly leads to social withdrawal and isolation.  Much recent research indicates that this separation massively increases the risk of developing dementia.

Yes, your hearing aids will arrive ready to use.  They will be programmed to the prescription on your audiogram and will be tailored depending on your lifestyle and regular ‘listening’ environments.  If you are  first time wearer of hearing aids the our audiologists generally set your hearing aids up at 80% of the prescribed level.  This is to enable you to get used to your new level of hearing gradually and not to ’shock’ your nerves by introducing too louder sounds too quickly.  We generally recommend you wear the hearing aids for a couple of weeks to get used to this before they are ‘tweaked’.  With the newer aids this ‘fine tuning’ and any other required adjustments can be done remotely.  For the refurbished range these revisions can be done with a local audiologist (as arranged by Hearing Aids Direct) or with one of the Affrodable Hearing audiologists.

Our main motivation is to offer the very best ear care and hearing technology possible at the very best price with the very best service so we’re always delighted to be able to try and help you.  You should find answers to most questions here, on our ‘trouble shooting’ page or in our extensive library of instructional videos.  Please do have a little look around first and if you’re still stuck please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us in any of the following ways:

By phone: 0330 230 3333

By email: info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Book a video trouble shooting appointment

Ordering the right hearing aids for you through Affordable Hearing is incredibly simple.  Once you have your audiogram and you have chosen the right hearing aid for you then you simply find the correct product in the web shop, place it in your basket and proceed through the checkout.  We feel that we have designed the Affordable Hearing Shop to be really easy to use.  However, if you have any problems at all, or are unsure, then do please get in contact with us in all of the usual ways:

By phone: 0330 230 3333

By email: info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Book an appointment

All Affordable Hearing aids arrive with a pack of replacement filters to get you started.  We will talk you through how to change your filter during your in-person or on-line fitting appointment.  If you still need any asssitnce or if you have a hearing aid from a different provider and just need a bit of help then there’s a simple ‘how to change my filter’ video in our ‘Helpful Videos’ section.  We will also soon be adding a ‘How to change my filter’ blog post and will link you into it from here when it is ready.  In the meantime we’re always happy to help you in whatever way we can.  Either by phone on 0330 230 333, email info@affordable-hearing.co.uk or you can book to have a quick on-line session with one of our team who can talk you through most trouble shooting here.

If you have had your audiogram carried out by one of our audiologist then there’s no need to do anything else.  Otherwise the simplest way to send us your audiogram is by email to:

info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Please make sure your name is clearly marked on the audiogram so we can attach it to your file.  If you are at all unsure, please do give us a call on:  0330 230 3333

Or book a video chat with one of our consultants here and we’ll talk you through it.

There are four key considerations when trying to choose the right hearing aid for you.  The most important is your audiogram (the level and pattern of your hearing loss).  For example if you have a profound level of deafness then you will need a ‘Power Aid’.  However, if you have a milder loss and are just looking for a bit of help with speech in noisy environments then a different hearing aid will be more suitable.  Other factors you will want to take into account are the comfort of any hearing aid you choose and also what it looks like.  You may prefer a ‘Concealed in the Canal’ (CIC) hearing aid which will be invisible.  If you have a CIC hearing aid then you will experience a higher level of occlusion (this is when you have a reduction in any natural sounds due to the hearing aid completely blocking the ear canal).  However, if you want to wear your hearing aid with glasses then not needing a hearing aid behind the ear may be worth the compromise.  Another key factor is price.  Your hearing aid needs to fit your budget.  Our nurses, audiologists and consultants are always delighted to speak to you and can help talk you through all the options to help you choose the right hearing aid.

You can call us on:  0330 230 3333

Email us at:  info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Or book your free video consultation here.

We will definitely be able to help you choose the right hearing aid for you.  Whether it is one of our ‘new’ and very reasonably priced hearing aids (please see our Best Price Guarantee) or it may be one of our fantastic secondhand hearing aids.  You can browse all the latest products from all the manufacturers here or browse through our extensive stock of second-hand hearing aids here.  We are adding different secondhand hearing aids and accessories to the site all the time so it’s worth checking back occasionally.  We will also be uploading our ‘How to choose the right hearing aid’ short film soon so do please check our ‘Helpful Videos’ section from time to time too.

We’re passionate about helping people choose the right hearing aid.

Most importantly most hearing aids are not waterproof.  They are only water-resistant.  For this reason it is really important to be very careful not to get your hearing aid too wet when you are cleaning it.  As with all rules there’s an exception to prove it.  In this case the exception is the Phonak Lumity Life hearing aid.  That said, you’d probably clean one of these hearing aids in the same way as all the others.  Most of the hearing aids that we sell at Hearing Aids Direct are either Receiver in Canal (RIC) or Concealed in Canal (CIC) hearing aids.  This means that they don’t have a hollow tube running from the body of the aid (where all the clever electronics are) to the ear mould.  The best way to keep your hearing aid clean is to wipe it with a clean (damp but not wet) cloth.  You can use a baby wipe (or similar) if you prefer.  It is also possible to buy 70% or higher alcohol wipes which you can use to gently wipe the hearing aid.

If you have a hearing aid with a sound tube from the device to the dome or mould then you should have been given a cleaning wire.  It is important not to remove the dome from the end of your tube.  Unscrew the tube from the main body of the hearing aid and insert the wire into the end without the dome.  Gently push the wire to the end.  There will probably be a wax filter at the end of the dome which will prevent the tube form going all the way through and out.  Move the wire up and down the tube a few times.  Remove the hearing aid cleaning wire.  Screw the hearing aid tube back onto the aid.  Wipe the dome clean gently with, again, a damp but not wet cloth.

Ear Care is essential and we hope this guide helps. If you’d like any further advice please do check our ‘helpful videos’ and ‘blog’ sections from time to time.  We’re also always happy to help you if you get in touch with us either by phone on 0330 230 3333, email info@hearginaids-direct.co.uk or why not book a video session here?

Ear care is essential. It is so important to clean your hearing aid as often as possible.  Ideally, you should clean your hearing aid every day.  It is a really good idea to get into the habit of wiping your hearing aid with a damp cloth at the end of each day.  Ideally when you take it out before you go to bed. Everyone’s ears are different and create more or less wax.  It is a good idea to keep a close eye on your hearing aids and clean them when you see a build-up of wax.  Keeping your hearing aids clean will extend their life and maximise their performance for you.  We are adding ‘helpful videos’ all the time.  There is also a ‘How to clean your hearing aid’ frequently asked question you may find helpful.

If you still need any assistance please do get in touch with us:

By phone:  0330 230 3333

Email:  info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Or a video call here

Our audiologists are always delighted to speak to you.  Either give us a call o330 230 3333, email us at info@affordable-hearing.co.uk or book a video consultation here.

You may find answers to your questions in some of our other Frequently Asked Questions, in the blog or in the ‘helpful videos’ section.  However, for any other enquiries and to speak to an audiologist about our range of new and second-hand hearing aids please do get in touch!

The answers to many of the questions that you may like to ask a nurse about can be found in the rest of our Frequently Asked Questions, blog or ‘helpful videos’ section.  Why not have  a quick look through those?

If not, our nurses will be delighted to help you.  Please get in touch with them in any one of the following ways:

By phone:  0330 230 3333

Email:  info@affordable-hearing.co.uk

Or book a video consultation here.

We’re looking forward to being able to help answer all your questions.

ABSOLUTELY!!

Of course we’d be delighted to call you back.

If you call on 0330 230 3333 and leave us a message we’ll definitely call you back.  Or simply email info@affordable-hearing.co.uk  and fill in your details on our simple Contact Us Form.  Or why not book a video call here?