Adult’s Hearing Services
Hearing loss can occur at any time in our adult life and can be temporary (e.g. ear wax) or permanent (e.g. related to the nerve of hearing or inner ear).
At Tracy James Hearing our aim is to look after your hearing with our range of assessment and treatment services. If you think you have a hearing loss, or if you already have hearing aids and you’re not happy with them, you can make an appointment to have a hearing assessment and discuss hearing aids [see more information below]. If you think you may have ear wax then it may be useful to have your ear examined or ear wax removal at Tracy James Hearing prior to making an appointment for a hearing test.
Our other services include: custom-made devices (e.g. noise plugs, swim plugs, ear monitors) and tinnitus management.
Online Hearing Check
Tracy James Hearing offers you the opportunity to check your hearing at home. Our online hearing screen takes just a few minutes and at the end of your hearing check you will be provided with an email report. To complete the hearing check all you need is your media device, headphones and a quiet environment.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can occur at any time in our adult life and can be congenital (due to genetic factors) or acquired (for example, due to illness or trauma to the ear). Hearing loss can also be temporary (e.g. congestion) or permanent (e.g. related to the nerve of hearing or inner ear).
Hearing loss is usually gradual, and can often get worse over time, with friends and family noticing the hearing difficulty before we notice the issue ourselves. Age-related hearing loss is a type of permanent hearing loss that will start for all of us at around 55 years of age; this can be the start of our hearing loss journey or add onto an existing hearing loss.
Some of the signs and symptoms of hearing loss include:
Mishearing words or confusing similarly-sounding words
Saying ‘pardon’ or asking others to repeat
Not hearing your partner as they walk away from you or when they call from another room
Turning up the television or using subtitles
Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears)
Struggling to hear in background noise, for example at a shop or party
Difficulties hearing in meetings at work, or at conferences or rooms with large spaces
Difficulties remembering instructions or what was said
Wanting to avoid social situations
Finding it harder to hear with masks or screens in front of the speakers face
If your hearing loss is sudden (overnight) or rapid (within 7 days) – then you should see your GP urgently.
The most common way to treat permanent hearing loss is with hearing aids. There are many benefits to wearing hearing aids, beyond hearing better, including:
Less fatigued, particularly when having to learn or listen all day
Feeling brighter, or more yourself
Wanting to take part in more social situations
Improved wellbeing
Improved memory and cognition
Reduced risk of dementia
If you work, or you have special hearing requirements due to your lifestyle, aesthetics, dexterity or ear health we can explore the following options for your hearing aids – including:
Bluetooth connectivity to electronic devices and mobile phones
Google translate and Alexa connectivity
Rechargeable technology
Custom-made devices (in the ear)
Invisible devices (in the canal)
Falls alert systems (requires mobile phone)
Working with dementia clients in their home
Remote microphones and Table microphones for meetings
If you’re ready to explore hearing aid options, or if you just want to know how well you hear, then you can book a hearing test with Tracy James Hearing. For those who are not mobile we also offer home visits within a 25 mile radius of Newbury (including Thatcham, Hungerford, Marlborough, Kintbury, Woolton Hill, Highclere, Bucklebury, Wantage).
Please note: the signs and symptoms of ear wax are slightly different to hearing loss alone. If you think you may have ear wax then it may be useful to have your ear examined or ear wax removal at Tracy James Hearing prior to making an appointment for a hearing test. See ear wax removal.