You may think that your hearing is perfect, and it could well be. But your hearing can fade gradually, without you really noticing. If your family often complain because they have to repeat everything twice, if you find yourself constantly saying ‘pardon', or you find it hard to distinguish one voice from another in a crowded room, it could be worth having a consultation with a HEARING WORKS qualified hearing professional.

Symptoms of hearing loss often develop very gradually so it’s not always easy to spot right away. In fact, it’s often friends or family who will pick up on the signs first. These ‘signs’ can include: turning the television up louder than is comfortable for others, having to ask people to repeat themselves or struggling to follow conversations. If you suspect you're suffering from these, or similar symptoms, it may be worth speaking to those around you to see if they’ve noticed them too.

The best advice is to go and get it checked out by booking a hearing test with a hearing care professional. At HEARING WORKS our hearing screenings are free of charge and our hearing tests are affordable and can usually be arranged within just a few days; you can call 073 652 4567 or book an appointment online.

Audiologists and Hearing Aid Acousticians do hearing tests. Audiologists provide a diagnostic testing service to doctors or specialists who may do more tests and recommend medical or surgical treatment. Hearing Aid Acousticians do hearing tests primarily for the purpose of supplying and adjusting hearing aids, however if they detect a treatable condition they will recommend that you consult your doctor.

It usually takes 30 minutes for a screening and one hour for a full comprehensive hearing test.

Wax can cause dulled/muffled hearing (it can block sounds going through the ear canal to the inner ear). If you suspect wax is affecting your hearing, the best advice is to have it checked out. At HEARING WORKS we check the health of your ears and presence of wax as standard in all our hearing tests and if we find excess wax, we’ll refer you to your GP or ENT. If normal levels of wax are present we can then test your hearing to find out what, if anything, is affecting your ability to hear well.

Loss of hearing is something that is associated with getting older, and it's a natural part of the ageing process. But your family and friends will notice your hearing loss - whereas in fact, if you wear a hearing aid, no one will notice at all. And for most people wearing a hearing aid enables them to get on with their life.

We will never sell you a hearing aid if you don't need one, because we're a company that has built its reputation on looking after its customers and providing them with the best possible care. Just as going for an eye test doesn’t always mean you'll need glasses, having your ears tested doesn’t automatically mean that the best solution will be using hearing aids.

If the results of your test show that you're experiencing hearing loss, your audiologist will advise you of the next steps. If your hearing loss is conductive or related to a medical condition, you’ll be referred to your GP or ENT. If your hearing loss is sensorineural and treatable with a hearing aid, we’ll discuss what options there are available to you. We have a wide choice of hearing aids suitable for a range of hearing losses and budgets and offer free demonstrations so that you can hear the difference for yourself.

Very simply put, a hearing aid amplifies sound to help people with hearing loss hear the sounds around them. Today’s hearing aids are sophisticated digital devices that can amplify and clarify sounds you want to hear, like speech, without amplifying the background noise. Digital hearing aids can also be programmed to suit your individual hearing loss and listening situations to offer the best support. To learn more about how they work visit our hearing aid section.

Look at a mobile phone, or a digital camera and it's easy to see how much technology has moved on in recent years. Hearing aids are no different. Today's models are slimmer, lighter and more discreet than ever before. In fact, some people wear them without their partners knowing, because they're so small. As for being uncomfortable, a hearing aid should be customized for your ear. At HEARING WORKS, we will make sure your aid fits you perfectly.

Some people find that their hearing aids don’t work, but this is usually down to the aid not fitting correctly or the user not being used to wearing them. At HEARING WORKS, we include a full fitting service and ongoing free aftercare to help you get used to wearing aids, so you really get the full benefit.

Thanks to digital technology, it's now possible to produce hearing aids with such precise and fine sound quality that the user is brought closer to normal hearing than ever before!

That really depends on your hearing loss. Your hearing system is designed so that the sound from two ears is fused into one sound by the brain. If you have a hearing loss in both ears then it makes sense to wear a hearing aid that manages each ear. A hearing test at HEARING WORKS will help you discover if you have a hearing loss, and if so, if it Is present in one or both ears.

Some hearing aids have tiny computers that can tell the difference between speech and noise and focus the microphone towards the speech. However, when the “noise” consists of several competing voices the hearing aid cannot know which voice you want to hear. When two hearing aids are used your brain knows which voice you want to hear and allows you to mentally exclude the interfering speech or background noise.

Should your hearing test indicate that you would benefit from a hearing aid, your audiologist will discuss a range of hearing aids and their features that could help your specific hearing loss. You also need to consider the size and style of hearing aid that you are looking for.

Some hearing aids can be very expensive. However, as you would expect from HEARING WORKS, we aim to bring you the best in value, quality, cost and convenience solutions for your hearing needs. We will talk you through everything in detail, so you’ll have all the information you need to make the right choice.

Most medical aids pay for some contribution towards hearing aids. It depends on your plan and your specific medical scheme. You should check with your medical aid to confirm that they will pay towards your hearing aids, and over what cycle (annually/every 2 or 3 years, and so forth). At HEARING WORKS, your audiologist will do all the medical aid work for you, so you don’t have to!

Your hearing aid is a valuable item so we would recommend adding them to your home contents insurance (easy to do with most insurers) if possible; giving you cover in case of loss or damage.
If you do insure your hearing aids, please remember to insure them for the full value and not the price that might include any discount or offer (you'll find this on your invoice). This will make sure that in the event of a claim, you'll have enough insurance to cover your hearing aid if the same offer or discount no longer applies.

The life of a hearing aid battery depends on a number of things including its size, the power of the hearing aid, the features that you use and of course, how long you wear your hearing aid. On average, a standard hearing aid battery will last between 7-10 days. Your audiologist will be able to give you more detailed information about expected battery life for your specific hearing aid, as well rechargeability options that are available.

Most people choose not to sleep in their hearing aids, mostly for reasons of comfort or fear that the hearing aid may become dislodged in the night. We also recommend storing hearing aids in a drying kit overnight as this will remove moisture in the hearing aid and its circuitry, helping it to perform better for longer.

How long your hearing aid will last depends on a number of factors; this includes the style of hearing aid you choose and how well you care for it (regular cleaning of your hearing aid and attending regular hearing aid checkups can help keep it working better for longer). For your peace of mind, all the hearing aids at HEARING WORKS come with a 2 or 3-year guarantee.