“Digital hearing aids have changed my life,” says Fife man

Nov. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- It was a routine whooping cough vaccination as a young child that left David Curran from Dunfermline, Fife, suffering with hearing loss and struggling with ill fitting hearing aids for more than 30 years. Now 36 years old and finally wearing suitable, comfortable hearing aids, David has a new found confidence and to the relief of his wife is no longer making up his own song lyrics!  

It was when David was aged two that his parents noticed a sudden slow down in his progress and started to realise something was wrong. “I’d been speaking from an early age.” David explained “but then after the vaccination I stopped making progress and mother knew something wasn’t right. Tests proved that my hearing had been adversely affected and nothing could be done. Despite being offered compensation, my parents refused and at the time felt lucky; many suffered much worse side effects from the whooping cough vaccination.”

Given two hearing aids, as a child David developed a skill for ‘losing’ them as he found them bulky, ill fitting and uncomfortable. “As well as making me feel different, the hearing aids I had as a child gave me constantly sore ears. They hurt all the time and I would do anything not to wear them - like hiding them in hedges and bins to pretend I’d lost them. One year I managed to lose eight!”

“My mum has told me I was given the label of educationally subnormal as during a test at school I was told to draw a square; I did this and then was asked to draw it bigger. I drew a squiggle and failed the test. The person performing the test refused to accept I may have misheard despite the fact I was always a bright student. Teachers often seemed to get frustrated with me and I think these things all contributed to me lacking in confidence as I grew up.” David said.

Determined not to be held back, David continued his studies and found his own ways of working around his hearing loss, qualifying in nursing and now working as a charge nurse in a NHS admission and assessment unit.

It wasn’t until October 2009 that David was finally fitted with new digital hearing aids that have made a massive difference to his hearing, outlook and confidence. “The new hearing aids are not uncomfortable at all, I leave them in morning until night and not having sore ears is great.” David explains further: “I’m far more confident at work. In meetings I used to hold back a bit and feel I was two steps behind everyone else, I’d have to think about what I’d just heard and take a moment for it to register but now I have far more input. The depth of sound I can now hear is amazing. I have always enjoyed music but now I can get so much more out of it. I used to sing lyrics I thought I’d heard but the words would be totally different. My wife would wonder where I’d got them from. It is no exaggeration to say I’ve truly regained the life I thought I’d lost forever.”

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: “Getting the right help and treatment is crucial for people trying to cope with the everyday challenges of living with hearing loss. David’s story really highlights this, with his new hearing aids and confidence I hope David’s story will encourage others to seek help and advice and get the appropriate care. Whilst Deafness Research UK is passionate about research and finding new cures and treatments, we are also here to offer help and guidance for those faced with the challenges hearing loss brings.”
            
For information on research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the website, www.deafnessresearch.org.uk or contact our free Information Service info@deafnessresearch.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:
Losing your hearing: The Deafness Research UK website has a range of information about loss of hearing, including sudden sensorineural hearing loss, age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss. We provide information about how loss is diagnosed, the treatment options available and our latest research projects and news. www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/5550/contents/losing-your-hearing.html

Photograpaph and caption: David Curran
            
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REF: DR-UK0322 – David Curran case study

                                  www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

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