Former teacher Lindy Pieri from Loddon, south Norfolk, is probably the furthest from the stereotypical hearing aid wearer. After having left the teaching profession, Lindy keeps herself busy as an actress, as well as indulging in her other passions like music and photoshoots. She’s also recently taken up ballet, saying “I absolutely love it! I’m quite new to ballet but I think it’s never too late to learn something new.”
Lindy started wearing hearing aids in her 50s, having suffered from hearing difficulties most of her life. “I thought my hearing difficulties were due to blocked adenoids, sinus problems etc. I just put up with it until I went to the doctor to ask about having my ears syringed* when I was in my 50s. He told me I didn’t need that, but I did need hearing aids.”
Missed connections
Lindy admits that she often tried to disguise her hearing loss, “I found it embarrassing to keep asking others to repeat themselves, so I ‘guesstimated’ quite a lot to avoid having to ask again.” She also found travelling was becoming more and more difficult.
Fewer members of staff on train platforms meant Lindy had to rely more on tannoy announcements, but poor sound quality can make them challenging to hear. “I have missed a connection more than once due to not hearing. I once got on the completely wrong train late at night and ended up miles away with no more trains until the next day and being locked out of the station!”
And Lindy admits that asking people for help often led to stereotypical comments, “Several times when I asked people for help, I was told ‘You don’t look deaf!’”
Lindy also found that her social life was being affected. “I am a social person and I love people but background noise and large open venues make hearing more of a challenge,” she says. And it was feeling cut off from conversations, along with knowing her TV volume was too high, that prompted Lindy to get a hearing test.
More confidence
Since getting hearing aids, Lindy feels more able to engage in one-to-one situations and now feels more confident when asking for information when travelling in those environments where anyone would struggle with background noise, “I feel more confident knowing that my aids improve my hearing.”
Lindy also enjoys the simple pleasures that better hearing has given her, like listening to music or listening to the TV at a normal volume.
And Lindy’s advice to anyone who may be in denial about their hearing loss? “Go and get your hearing checked! Get your hearing aids and celebrate them!”
Follow the link to book your free hearing test today.
*Ear syringing is now considered potentially harmful by the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE). Hidden Hearing only use micro-suction for ear wax removal.