Hearing aids: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, my grandfather wears one in both ears. He started losing his hearing a few years ago, so my family encouraged him to get fitted for a device. It's tiny and discreet, and it has made chatting with him at Sunday dinners so much easier.

I have, actually, just once when I was about ten years old. Our local clinic did a routine check-up for all primary school children. I remember sitting in a quiet booth wearing massive headphones and raising my hand whenever I heard a faint beep.

I try to be sensible with volume levels, especially when listening to music on my mobile phone. I always keep it below the recommended limit, and if I attend a loud concert in town, I usually pop some earplugs in to avoid that horrible ringing sensation the next day.

Not at all, to be honest. Modern hearing aids are barely noticeable anyway, and being able to communicate clearly is far more important to me than worrying about how I look. If an audiologist told me I needed one, I wouldn't hesitate.

Not very much, to be fair. I recall a brief science lesson where the teacher explained the inner ear and warned us never to stick cotton buds inside our ears, but that was pretty much it. Most of what I know now comes from reading articles.