Any audiologists around?

[JustHavinABreak]

Could really do with some advice. My DH is 47 and I have really noticed a deterioration in his hearing over the last number of months.

He can't hear when myself or the kids are speaking to him and gets snappy about it. According to him, it's only when I speak but I've witnessed occasions when he has been unaware of the kids or has blatantly misheard what has been said. It's causing tension.

Just when I had convinced him to see someone about it, he spoke to a friend experiencing similar who did in fact see an audiologist. This friend of the same age was basically told that it's a case of wear and tear at this age??? At the tender age of 47 he will find it difficult to differentiate between different sources of sound and to learn to live with it. Is this really the case? Any advice would be much appreciated.

My GP gave me an NHS referral to Specsavers for a hearing test. I had thought it was just a wax problem...
My hearing was tested, they found it was 'soft letters' such as F S and TH I was missing as well as certain pitches. I was given NHS hearing aids at no cost and replacement batteries for 4 years.
I didn't realise how bad my hearing was until I started wearing them. I can watch TV without subtitles, have a conversation in a busy restaurant and I'm not constantly asking people to repeat themselves at work . I should have done it years ago

By the way, you can download a hearing test app from specsavers.
I am a similar age to your husband and put it down to years of load nightclubs and concerts

I have hearing problems and wear 2 hearing aids. My audiolologist explained to me about how sound works. I have a common problem
where I found higher pitched sounds more difficult / impossible to hear.
So I can’t here the cat miaowing when she is in another room for example especially from one particular ear.
I have had aids since I was 48.Turns out the problem was caused when I was about 5 with a head injury.

So your kids and you will have higher pitched voices which may make things more difficult for him to hear all of what is said.

Life is so much easier now and I get less tired. Hearing aids can be much smaller than the traditional NHS ones these days.

I'd be surprised if anyone got to 47 without some hearing loss. But it will impact everyone in different ways.

In my area you can go to Specsavers or you can ask for a referral to audiology. I see audiology for different reasons and can honestly say they're brilliant. Get an appointment and see what they can do to help.