There is nothing like the festive season with one social engagement after another. From drinks with friends, the buzz of the family gathering, to the Christmas office party, Christmas is a time for fun and social interaction.

But is it? For those experiencing hearing loss, this can be something of an annual nightmare, causing a variety of communication issues! Imagine, if you can, being unable to hear speech clearly at a part because Christmas music is being played in the background, or not being able to hear the excitement of children opening presents because they are all talking at once and you cannot separate the sounds clearly.

One in six people in Wales have hearing loss, but the number could be far smaller if people sought professional help from an audiologist such as me.

Hearing aids can make such a difference to someone’s quality of life at this time of year. They are so much smaller and discreet than they ever used to be and packed full of amazing features that will help during the festive period.

You may have thought that with so much noise at a party or family dinner, hearing aids would just make things louder, but modern hearing aids aren’t simple sound amplifiers. They are designed to filter out all the unwanted noise- like the clanging of dishes in the kitchen or the background music- and help you focus on speech.

Features such as directional microphones work to reduce the amount of noise allowed to enter your hearing aids. If the noise is located behind you, your directional microphones will adapt to pick up sounds from in front of you and dampen noise from behind you.

There really is no limit to what hearing aid technology can do these days, including Bluetooth connectivity to all your devices to stream music, phone calls and TV, masking features to help with tinnitus, fitness tracking, recharge-ability and full control of the settings using an app on your phone.

If you or someone you know is struggling with hearing problems, don’t struggle through another festive season not being able to join in and have fun. I urge you to book a hearing test now and find out what could be done to help you in time for Christmas.

Sonja Jones has worked in the audiology profession since 2009 and established her own company, Cardiff Hearing, in 2017. Her award-winning business operates from clinics in both Ely (Cardiff) and Taffs Well.

For more information, you can call them on 02920 676 625 or visit their website here