Miv Wathen, a 37-year-old family support worker from Bristol, talks about how her life has changed thanks to Hidden Hearing after she suffered sudden hearing loss.
In October 2024, Miv took her daughter to the local fair in Tewkesbury and remembers just how overwhelming the noise was. “We were only there for about an hour,” Miv says “but it was so loud. I couldn’t hear people talking over the booming music.”
Later that night, Miv began suffering from intense ringing (also known as tinnitus) in her left ear. “The tinnitus was so loud it kept me awake,” Miv remembers. “The next morning, everything sounded dull. It was like the world had lost its edge. I couldn’t hear anything on my left side. It felt like sound had just disappeared.”
“After seven months, I was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss in my left ear,” she says.
Miv remembers just how alone she felt when she couldn’t hear. “No one really acknowledged the extent of my hearing loss until much later. It was frustrating and lonely. This affected every part of my life,” she says. “At home, it was hard to hear my daughter. She didn’t always understand that she needed to speak louder, and I hated having to ask her to repeat herself.”
And Miv found her professional life began to suffer too. “At work, it was even harder,” she says. “My job involves listening, really listening, to parents, children, and professionals. But when I was in noisy environments like schools or family homes, it was exhausting trying to focus.”
She continued to struggle, “Hearing fatigue is real. Trying to follow conversations, trying to focus on one voice in a sea of noise – it’s draining”.
That’s when Miv heard from a friend about a new local hearing care service and reached out to Hidden Hearing in Bristol. From the very first conversation, she felt truly listened to. The team took time to understand her concerns, her lifestyle, and the impact her hearing loss was having — making her feel supported and reassured every step of the way.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, Hidden Hearing’s experts worked closely with Miv to find the right approach for her. After a comprehensive hearing assessment, they recommended a tailored solution that matched her unique hearing profile and personal preferences — giving her renewed confidence in everyday conversations.
“These state-of-the-art hearing aids from Hidden Hearing have completely changed things for me,” Miv says. “Hidden Hearing really took the time to understand my story, my hearing loss struggles and my needs. I felt like the hearing aids they fitted were truly personalised to me.”
“I can now hear my daughter more clearly, no longer relying on her to raise her voice or repeat herself multiple times.” Miv also noticed an improvement at work. “Work has become easier – I can understand what people are saying even when I’m in noisy environments. When wearing my aids, my tinnitus is non-existent which is such a huge relief, and I’m less fatigued.”
Hidden Hearing audiologist Rosie Aylward, who treated Miv, says, “We’re so happy that Miv’s home and work life have both been made easier by her new hearing aids. Our mission is to help more people hear better and Miv’s story really highlights just how precious our hearing is and how it connects us to the world.”
If you’ve noticed a change in your hearing, book a free hearing test with Rosie and her team by calling 0117 454 5342 or visiting hiddenhearing.co.uk.
98 Whiteladies Road, Clifton,
Bristol, BS8 2QY
0117 454 5342
www.hiddenhearing.co.uk
