WITH the new ihear clinic opening in Toormina Medical Centre to cater for all things ear health, the company is heartened to hear Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold sharing her hearing journey.

“Hearing aids are no longer the big and bulky pieces of medical equipment they used to be,” Lyndon Williams, ihear Toormina’s practice manager told News Of The Area.

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“Thanks to advances in technology, hearing aids are now smaller, more discreet, and more powerful than ever before.

“Hearing aids are designed to help people with hearing loss hear better and live fuller lives.”

After winning the nation’s hearts at the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup, 29-year-old Mackenzie took to Instagram to reveal her trip to the hearing clinic to get her hearing aid fitted.

“Those closest to me know how long I’ve avoided this day, but here’s a little glimpse of a life-changing day for me,” Arnold wrote on Instagram.

Young girls commented on the post, describing Arnold a “massive inspiration” to girls with hearing aids.

When she couldn’t keep up with conversation and found it hard to understand what people were saying Mackenzie asked her brother, who has a hearing loss, whether these are signs to get her hearing tested.

“I’m in big groups and I feel myself zoning out a little bit because I can’t keep up with the conversation or I can’t hear the person to my left, my right, whatever it,” she said.

Improving her quality of life has been transformative to Arnold, and the key to accepting that she needs to hear better.

“The reality of actually wearing hearing aids for the rest of my life…it wasn’t something I was willing to accept.

“I didn’t really have a choice at the end of the day, my quality of life, obviously that is the most important and I was willing to do that.”

Lyndon said the shock of needing hearing assistance can be a shock, which is why aftercare is so important.

“At ihear, we focus on the aftercare and take pride in ensuring our patients are comfortable, happy and hearing the best they can be by tailoring our aftercare programs to individual needs.”

In her post, Mackenzie mentions that she didn’t wear her hearing aids the day of her World Cup game against Nigeria, admitting she felt that her brain wasn’t stimulated enough and that it could have influenced her performance.

“I obviously wasn’t too happy with my performance against Nigeria…I didn’t wear my hearing aids that whole day and I was thinking that maybe my brain wasn’t stimulated enough, maybe, I’m not sure.

“It’s just a lot of things I tie back to my hearing now.

“It could have been completely opposite…but I do feel a lot more confident within myself when I have them in and I feel like I’m a lot more alert and connected.”

Untreated hearing loss can have a domino effect on health, career, relationships and psychological wellbeing.

“With the help of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program, Department of Veteran Affairs and other financing options, hearing aids are now within reach for more people than ever before,” said Lyndon.

By Andrea FERRARI