When speaking you can help by:

• Make sure your face is in good light
• Keeping your head still
• Attracting the person's attention before speaking
• Speaking clearly and slightly slower than normal
• Using different words, as some words are easier to lip-read than others
• Writing things down when necessary

• Shout! This looks aggressive, and shouting at someone with a hearing aid can cause discomfort.
• Smoke or eat while talking or put your hand in front of your mouth.
• Above all be patient.

Do you find it difficult to hear what people are saying? - Your favourite TV programme? - The telephone? Or the doorbell ring? Then you probably suffer some degree of hearing loss.

can occur at any age but as we get older some loss of hearing is very common. There is often no cure although hearing aids can help some people.

Modern hearing aids are very small and inconspicuous and a wide range is available.

to help with everyday problems.
• To flash the lights in your home when there's someone at the door.
• To let you hear TV without upsetting family or neighbours.
• To wake you in the morning when ordinary alarms are not sufficient.
• To make it easier to hear on the telephone, including public telephones.

Even if you have a hearing aid, you may still have to rely on lip-reading.

is the name given to noises in the head and ears - it's a very common problem. If you've got a hearing loss you may suffer from tinnitus as well. As yet there is no cure, but if it's bad enough you could try MASKING. You wear a small device like a hearing aid which makes a gentle sound, which may cover (or mask) the noises in your head. See your doctor - you may be referred to a consultant.