Chain Reaction

Following years of nudging from family, it was the chance reading of an article that finally prompted avid cyclist, Peter Lovell to take the first step towards getting his hearing tested.

“There was a promotion in Bicycle Queensland’s newsletter offering members a free hearing screen through Hear and Say. It caught my attention as my family had been putting the pressure on for a long time for me to get my hearing checked,” said Peter.

“Until that point, I’d been resisting. At the back of my mind was the annoyance I have constantly felt at having to wear glasses everyday for my near-sightedness, and not wanting another aid to have to remember to use and look after.”

However, having noticed himself pulling away from discussions that were too hard to follow , or not always catching what fellow cyclists were saying while out on a group ride, Peter decided to take up the free screen offer.

“My hearing loss meant I was having a lot of trouble hearing in noisy situations, such as in a busy café when with my cycling friends,” said Peter.

“I noticed that I had been holding myself back from being involved in conversations, because I wasn’t able to hear well enough.”

Peter’s hearing test at Hear and Say revealed a moderately severe high frequency hearing loss in both ears. Now fitted with hearing aids specially tailored for his needs and lifestyle goals, Peter said he had noticed a positive difference – on and off the bike.

“Wearing hearing aids has definitely sharpened my ability to hear sounds, particularly things like cars approaching from behind me while I’m out cycling, which can be a real safety concern,” said Peter.

“My experience at Hear and Say gave me real confidence in the process, and was a big factor in ultimately deciding to go ahead with the hearing aids. My audiologist, Georgia Cambridge was very professional, caring and supportive, and allayed any fears I had.

“Going to a not-for-profit for this type of service also meant that I didn’t have any concerns that their team was pushing a product on me that they would get a kick-back from. I felt like they had done their research and that the hearing aids being recommended were the most appropriate option for my level of hearing problems.”

Another bonus Peter said he’d discovered was picking up on everyday sounds he hadn’t realised he was missing until he began wearing his new hearing aids – including a mechanical issue with one of his bikes. Despite his initial hesitation in taking that first step to having a hearing test, Peter said he was pleased with the outcome and encouraged others to do the same.

“It’s really not the inconvenience I’d first imagined to get up in the morning and put my hearing aids in, after they’ve been charging overnight.

“To others I say, your hearing is not going to improve on its own – so the sooner you do something about any issues, the longer you’ll have to enjoy your hearing and stay engaged with your friends and family.”