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Contact Details
Our Location
Wigan Hearing
30 Preston Road
Standish
Wigan
WN6 0HS
Map and Directions
Call Us
Accessories only -
01535 656444
Everything else - 01257 444044
Voicemail service when not available
Our Email Address
Accessories only
[email protected]
Everything else
[email protected]
FAQ’s
Before you contact us you might find the answer to your query within our FAQ’s section below. For accessories FAQ’s click our Shop FAQ’s section here.
If you can’t see the answer to your query you can fill in the handy contact form above and we’ll get back to you very quickly.
Hearing Aids FAQs
Our head office and administration base is in Wigan, Lancashire. We are a regionally based independent hearing aid supplier covering a large part of the north west of England, including Wigan, Standish, Orell, Skelmersdale, Ashton In Makerfield, Shevington, Ince, Aspull and Pemberton.
We are very locally focused and take great care to supply to areas where we know we can offer a high standard of aftercare.
We are also a leading partner in a UK wide network of local independent hearing aid audiologists. If you need help or advice about your hearing just ask for our help and we will put you in touch with a reliable and professional independent hearing aid audiologist close to you, just about anywhere in the UK.
Why deal with a local independent hearing specialist instead of a national company? Three compelling reasons – Price, Choice and Aftercare. Compared to dealing with most of the national companies you could reduce the purchase cost of hearing aids substantially!
Also, most of the national suppliers supply a limited range of products from a limited number of manufacturers. We and our independent partners in our UK wide network supply the full range of technology available from all these manufacturers and more ; Phonak, Oticon, Widex, Starkey, GN Resound, Puretone, Unitron, Signia.
This, along with a commitment to excellent aftercare that you rarely get from a national supplier makes for an easy choice.
You might be surprised to know that just short of 9 million people in the UK suffer with some degree of hearing loss, of those around 6.5 million are over the age of 60, with quite a sizeable percentage younger.
Over 70% of the population over the age of 70 have at least a degree of hearing loss.
It is believed that around 4 million people in this country could benefit from wearing hearing aids but have not yet done anything about it!
An astounding set of facts.
Not at all! As modern technology has improved, privately purchased hearing aids have progressed in leaps and bounds, and are getting more discreet and more sophisticated every year.
Also bear in mind that the old stigmas associated with hearing loss and wearing hearing aids are disappearing fast, more people than ever are turning to professional help to improve their quality of life.
The largest percentage of hearing loss can be attributed to the ageing process, but we regularly see clients in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s whose hearing has been damaged due to exposure to excessive noise levels and need a little help to hear clearly.
We also see people quite regularly who have had hearing problems from birth or early childhood.
If you are having problems with your hearing it is a good idea at the very least to ask us for a free hearing check to put your mind at ease.
In a word, no. Your hearing will remain the same regardless of whether or not you wear hearing aids, although once you start to hear better your expectations of how well you should hear are higher, so you notice more when you are not wearing your hearing aids.
The price you pay for your hearing aids depends very much on the lifestyle you lead and your own expectations of hearing.
The more advanced the technology is, the higher the price tag.
If you lead a very busy lifestyle and need the best performance for noisy environments the best advice is to opt for the most advanced (and highest price) technology you can afford or justify.
If you lead a quieter lifestyle technology in the middle of the range may well perform adequately for your needs.
Our hearing aid prices are keenly priced, there are some situations where you see lower prices but these products are never like for like.
We charge an initial £50 professional consultation fee to complete a full and detailed assessment of your hearing. If at that point or within a couple of months you purchase hearing aids the cost of the hearing aids purchased is reduced by this amount.
You can buy cheap amplifiers from newspaper advertisements for less than £20 and some companies advertise very basic technology for around £200 or so.
We would advise you to give these sorts of products a wide berth if your budget is pointing that way and look to the NHS instead.
The main ongoing cost of hearing aid ownership is hearing aid batteries. (Unless you have a rechargeable model!).
Typically in the high street you would pay just under £4.00 for a packet of 6 batteries, that is just under 70p a cell.
Depending on the size of battery you use and the level of hearing loss you have, a battery might last anywhere from less than a week to over a month.
We can supply pretty much any accessory for any hearing aid supplied in the UK, including hearing aid batteries at a cost of about 20p per cell!
Other costs such as wax guards, domes, tubes, receiver wires etc are a minimal cost also.
The other potential cost is repairs out of warranty, although the hearing aids we supply have the benefit of a five year warranty.
When you request a hearing test you will receive an in depth assessment of your hearing loss by a fully qualified independent hearing aid audiologist, and recommendations on the appropriate solutions.
The hearing assessment is provided for a cost of £50, this is to enable to fully assess your needs, and if you purchase at that point or within a couple of months the cost of hearing aids purchased is reduced by that amount.
If we supply hearing aids they are individually custom built to the exact shape of your ear and fine tuned precisely to your hearing loss.
You will receive the professional hearing aid audiologist’s time, patience and experience in helping you achieve the best result possible.
Hearing aids supplied in the UK always have at least a two year manufacturers warranty attached as standard, we actually offer a five year manufacturers warranty as standard.
We think it is a good idea to insure your hearing aids against loss and damage, the manufacturers warranty will cover a lot of eventualities but will not cover against losing your hearing aids, dropping them on the floor and standing on them, the dog chewing them etc.
The easiest and cheapest way to insure your hearing aids is to specify them on your house contents insurance, but sometimes this is not possible or desirable (for instance a claim on your house contents insurance may affect no claims bonus).
There are standalone policies available to cover hearing aids but they are not easy to find!
Not at all. After we have asked you some important background questions about your hearing we take a look in your ear canals to check for excessive wax or any other problems that might affect your hearing or general health.
We then use an audiometer to measure your type and level of hearing loss.
Once we have all this information to hand we are in a position to tell you all about your hearing loss and the potential solutions.
The whole process is painless, comfortable and reassuring. If you are relaxed the readings will be more accurate.
All our hearing aid audiologists and anybody we recommend throughout our nationwide network are fully qualified, experienced and highly trained Registered Hearing Aid Dispensers.
It is against the law to supply hearing aids if unqualified and not on the HCPC Register of Professionals.
You can check whether an individual is qualified to supply you with hearing aids easily on the Health and Care Professions Council website (HCPC).
We pride ourselves on our professionalism and integrity and have a full and comprehensive program of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to be able to continually develop and improve the way we do things, and offer our clients the best service we can.
It is very important to us that you the customer feel completely confident in what we can do to help you.
Only hearing aid audiologists registered under the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) are allowed to supply hearing aids after a long training period and both theory and practical examinations passed.
A registered hearing aid audiologist will be only too happy to show you their registration card on request.
The terms and conditions of purchase are laid out on the paperwork supplied to you, and are in full compliance and support the Health and Care Professions Council codes of conduct.
Your rights are laid down, together with the sale of goods, consumer protection and trades description acts; your rights are well protected.
If you want a copy of Terms and Conditions before arranging a hearing assessment please just contact us and we will email you a copy by return.
This is not a good idea! Moisture and the sophisticated electronic components in hearing aids do not mix at all well, and the warranty does not cover for user damage due to water ingress.
If your hearing aid is subjected to excessive moisture or is accidentally submerged in water and stops working, sometimes a period of slow drying out over a couple of days in a warm dry environment can bring a hearing aid back to life.
Otherwise the hearing aid might need to go back to the manufacturers to be repaired.
For most clients a typical cleaning routine consists of a quick wipe with a tissue when the hearing aids are removed and an occasional change of a wax filter.
As a general rule we don’t advise this, but it is possible to “nod off” in the chair whilst watching TV without too much problem.
It is better when you climb into bed to remove your hearing aids.
Your hearing aids are better left open when not wearing them to allow any moisture built up during the day evaporate overnight.
When we supply and fit hearing aids they attract a flexible 60 day satisfaction guarantee – if things don’t work out you have two choices.
1). We can try a different type or brand of hearing aid that suits you better, or
2) We can refund you less the £50 professional consulation fee.
However, we have VERY few returns, we offer lots of support and most issues can be easily resolved. The main thing to bear in mind is that we are very motivated to make sure you have the best experience with us and that you hear as well as you possibly can. We will always fall over backwards to do the very best we can to help you hear better.
Ear Wax Removal FAQs
Ear wax forms naturally via secretions from glands near the entrance of the ear canal. Ear wax when produced is drawn outwards like a very slow conveyor belt via the skins natural migration process (epithelial migration).
Typically it dries as it reaches the entrance of the ear canal and then drops or flakes out of the ear, often without you noticing. Wearing hearing aids or noise plugs, narrow or hairy ear canals, your diet and environmental factors can all exacerbate problematic build up of wax in the ear canal.
Having an ongoing issue with excessive wax in the ear canal is just the luck of the draw – some people never have any issues all their lives and for others it is an ongoing problem.
Microsuction is undertaken using a microscope and a medical suction device, hence the term microsuction. A very thin wand type fitting is attached to the end of a suction tube which allows us to gently remove the earwax from the ear canal, like a mini vacuum cleaner.
We examine your ear using a binaural microsope (either fixed or with loupes glasses) and, using the fine low pressure suction device, safely remove the blockage. Also, using a video otoscope we show you the condition of the ear before and after the treatment.
Micro suction does not necessarily need pre-treatment with oil or drops if the wax in your ear is soft. However we recommend you put drops in your ears regardless for 2-3 days to make it more comfortable and potentially reduce the risk of having to come back for a second visit.
Microsuction is a safe and comfortable process and it is usually undertaken as a same day service.
Ear irrigation replaces the old fashioned technique of ear syringing and is safer.
We use an electronic ear irrigation machine that contains a water storage reservoir unit and a hand-held nozzle which gently pumps water into the ear canal at a controlled and steady rate.
The water breaks down and dislodges the ear wax build-up, it then flushes the ear wax out of the canal and it is captured in a flask called a noots tank.
With ear irrigation you may need to apply Earol (clinically treated olive oil) for 2-3 days before the treatment if the wax needs to be softened.
N.B. Earol can be purchased directly from our clinic in Silsden, via our website on the link above, or possibly via your local chemists.
Olive oil has historically been recommended to soften wax for ear syringing / irrigation, typically for 1-2 weeks. On attending our clinic we suggest that 2-3 days morning and evening is enough for most people for us to be able to remove the ear wax comfortably with either microscution, irrigation or dry removal.
A small percentage of people need to be sent away to use drops for longer to soften impacted (very hard) wax that cannot be removed on the day.
N.B. If on inspection we find that the wax in your ear is very hard or clay like in consistency we may suggest you use sodium bicarbonate drops instead. For some these drops are a little harsh / abrasive, so we always recommend starting with olive oil drops in the first instance.
Nothing is really recommended for ears generally, they tend to look after themselves. For dry, itchy ears you can use products like Cedis Gel.
We would suggest that you visit us to have your ears cleared as often as is required and only when you feel they are blocked, or close to being blocked. Wax in your ears performs a number of useful functions so there is no point in removing it unnecessarily.
Hearing aid wearers can find even low amounts of wax in the ear canal troublesome though and to the detriment of hearing aid performance, and may need the wax removing earlier and more often.
Also known as an ear cone, an ear candle is a thin, hollow tube of linen or muslin cloth, soaked in paraffin or beeswax and tapered at one end. Some are scented with herbs, honey, or aromatherapy oils.
The basic claim is that the heat from the flame melts and loosens the ear wax and creates negative pressure that ‘sucks’ the wax into the candle. This is referred to as the ‘chimney effect’.
At best hopi ear candles could be described as ineffective – at worst dangerous. Hot wax from the ear candle dripping into the ear canal, not a particularly good idea!
The American Academy of Otolarynology states that ear candles are not a safe option for removing ear wax and that no controlled studies or scientific evidence support their use for ear wax removal. The Food and Drug Administration has successfully taken several regulatory actions against the sale and distribution of ear candles since 1996, including seizing ear candle products and ordering injunctions!
Generally a home visit service is not something we offer. We do have some portable equipment to facilitate a home visit, but the safest, quickest and most comprehensive wax removal service we can offer is based at our very well equipped clinic in Wigan. We have state of the art equipment, plenty of on site parking, easy access for those less mobile, and frankly it costs less!
To arrange a home visit takes lots of extra time in set up, sterilisation procedures, travelling costs etc and in a home environment setting it’s just more difficult for us to do the job as well as we would like. If it is impossible for you to attend our clinic please get in touch to discuss….
We absolutely do not recommend the use of cotton buds in the pursuit of ear wax removal, they really are not a good idea….
Ear wax migrates out of your ear canal, like a very slow conveyor belt, at about the rate your finger nail grows – very slowly! If you put a cotton bud down your ear canal you may pick a little wax our near the entarnce of the ear canal if you are lucky, however you are far more likely to push the rest of the wax further down and impact it.
You also run the very real risk of tearing the skin in the ear canal or rupturing your ear drum. Everything is quite delicate down there and no match for a cotton bud. Don’t do it!
Some people just produce more ear wax than others. Some need ear wax removal every 3-6 months, some annually and some occasionally.
We help customers in their 80’s who are having ear wax removed for the first time and customers in their 20’s who come to see us regular as clockwork a few times a year!
So apart from being one of those people that product lots of ear wax are there any other defining reasons?
Wearing things in your ears regularly like hearing aids, noise protection and ear phones can cause issues.
If you have lots of hair in your ears then the earwax can get stuck and tangled in the hair.
Narrow ear canals or ear canals that have a very sharp angle can cause an issue.
If you keep putting your finger in your ear and wiggling it to scratch it this can push the wax back in.
Working environments that are very dusty or workplaces that require headsets to be worn all day.
Have we said cotton buds? Cotton buds are not a good idea! Don’t use them!
The vast majority of GP surgeries use only irrigation (water) to remove excessive ear wax.
Typically you have to wait for an appointment to see the prctice nurse who can check that you have excessive wax in the ear canal.
Then you will be asked to put oil or similar into your ears for a week, sometimes longer, before you can attend an ear wax removal clinic.
These clinics tend to be on certain days and often get booked up quite quickly.
Because of all these factors it tends to take 2-3 weeks on average at your local GP surgery from start to finish to get you back to clear ears.
In comparison we can typically clear your ears within 2-3 days if you have not been applying oil, and sooner if you have.
Good question. Ear wax removal by microsuction is a bit of a fine art. Although very safe (it is the safest form of ear wax removal) it can take more time, and time is a precious commodity at GP surgeries.
Ear wax removal by microsuction also requires a safe environment with plenty of space and expensive specialist equipment.
Not all GP surgeries will have the space to carry out the procedure safely, or the budget to offer microsuction as a service.
Ear wax removal is not painful if done correctly and in the correct environment and appropriate equipment, not forgetting to mention the skilled practitioner.
You as a patient have a role to play too. You need to keep still and relax. Most people are pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and quick the procedure can be.
Ear wax removal by microsuction involves vacuuming ear wax from the ear canal with a suction probe. There is no force of water being directed down the ear canal.
The main extra risk factor with irrigation (ear syringing) is the low pressure water being sent down the ear canal towards the ear drum. The ear drum is only 0.1 mm thick. It’s very precious and great care should be taken with it.
When we use irrigation we always start slow and build up pressure if necessary to ensure your comfort and safety.
With irrigation we also need to use the correct water temperature. If the water is too cold, it can create dizziness and nausea. The temperature needs to be around body temperature – 37 degrees.
If you have a perforated ear drum which is masked by ear wax and we send water down your ear canal, even at low speed it is not a good idea! With ear wax removal using microsuction we can safely clear an ear with a perforated ear drum.
We have a page explaining the safety issues we need to cover when removing ear wax and how we go about it. For details click here