BRING THREE AND FOURPENCE , WE'RE GOING TO A DANCE*

 * I guess I won't be mishearing things so much now because I've got myself a couple of hearing aids.

The Old Girl has been on at me for ages to do something about my hearing so, a couple of weeks ago I had my ears tested which showed that I have significant hearing loss. My hearing has been getting worse over the last couple of years and I haven't been able to hear her when she talks to me from another room (why do women do this?)

The crunch came when I started using subtitles while watching Netflix films and TV series. I found that the dialogue was being overridden by music and sound effects. This annoyed The Old Girl hence the 'ultimatum'.

Yesterday I had hearing aids fitted and I will be wearing them for a two week trial. After that they can be either adjusted or replaced. They are working well though and the additional hearing is dramatic. I can hear the 's' sounds and other consonants better and now can differentiate music and sounds from dialogue on the television.

Many people, especially those with age-related hearing loss, lose the ability to detect high-frequency sounds. Because consonants are typically higher-pitched than vowels, the loss of high frequencies can make it difficult to tell consonant sounds apart. As a result, speech sounds muddy — in some cases, almost beyond comprehension

        'The Real Sounds Of Hearing Loss' - NPR

I bought Specsavers hearing aids which are bluetooth capable.

The bluetooth function is a treat as it allows me to listen to music and audiobooks via my phone and is useful in phone conversations. Previously I used audio earbuds which never seemed to fit properly and I was forever losing one. The hearing aids fit snugly over the ear with the receiver locked well within the ear canal so it won't fall out.

For any old codgers out there with hearing problems I suggest that they investigate hearing aids. The benefits outweigh the cost and, for those over 65 there is an $1100 government subsidy.