Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway is championing the value of hearing health.
The 62-year-old is drawing on his own recent experience to encourage people to book hearing checks and not ignore changes in their hearing.
Mr Holloway said: "As soon as I thought there might be a problem with my hearing, I wanted to get it checked.
"I’ve seen first-hand how hard it is to live without sound, so it really was a no-brainer for me.
"I wear glasses to help me see better, so why wouldn’t I want to improve my hearing?"
Mr Holloway became concerned after noticing that he was often saying 'pardon?' to his wife, Kim, and that the television volume had crept up to 33.
The couple have three deaf children—two of whom use cochlear implants and one who wears hearing devices—and two deaf grandchildren who also use cochlear implants.
He visited Specsavers on Regent Street, Swindon for a hearing check, where audiology director Kane Akers carried out the assessment.
Mr Akers said: "Ian is a brilliant example of what you should do if you notice a change in your hearing.
"On average, people will wait between seven and ten years before doing something.
"When there are solutions available to help you to hear better, that’s potentially a long time to be missing out on sounds that could have a big impact on your quality of life."
After the test confirmed a mild hearing loss in both ears, Mr Holloway was fitted with hearing devices and says he is pleased with the difference they have made.
He said: "I don’t want to miss out on anything, and with modern technology as good as it is, hearing devices nowadays are just fantastic and make a huge difference.
"I had a mild loss in both ears, and it was recommended that hearing devices would help me be able to hear sounds that had started to tail off.
"I’m just so pleased with how much of a difference the hearing devices have made.
"Less pleased when I can hear what away fans are shouting more clearly at games, perhaps."
Mr Holloway is sharing his story to encourage others not to delay.
He said: "I’d last had my hearing checked when I was 50, so when I noticed that certain sounds were getting harder to hear, I wanted to set an example to my grandchildren."
Share