"Charming and patient throughout my consultation"

My appointment recently at NHS Lothian's Audiology department was punctual, professional and an illuminating experience.

I was met in the reception of the Lauriston Building's ENT Outpatient Department by the audiologist, Ms. Lam, and taken to her small office where she carried out the examination of my ears. Not having experienced such a detailed examination before, she was careful to clearly explain not only what she intended to test but also each piece of equipment she would use and the information it would provide her with. Her initial examination determined I was 'dull' in my left ear and had 'bubbles' in my right one. On questioning what these terms meant, she very patiently detailed each to me in layman's terms before proceeding to the next stage of her examination. 

This involved the use of what I quickly realised were extremely sensitive headphones through which I would hear sporadic 'pulses' at different frequencies and I had to press a button every time I noticed one. Even as I was pressing the button I was aware there might be some 'pulses' that were so indistinct I wasn't actually sure if I'd heard them. These, it turned out, created a graph on computer that indicated how well each of my ears was performing. Not quite so well as it turned out - my left one was not as good as my right. 

The upshot of this excellent care and attention was Ms. Lam's measured suggestion that I would benefit from hearing aids - certainly for my left ear but better for both. Whilst I was initially surprised at this unexpected outcome, it made me realise that some of the sounds I'd become used to not hearing properly (e.g. television) was not the fault of the technology but of my ears! 

Having been given the option of whether to proceed or not, I opted to follow Ms. Lam's professional advice and agree to having hearing aids. I was happy that this possibility was objectively provided to me - there was neither a 'hard sell' nor any equivocation on her part: Ms Lam was charming and patient throughout my consultation and I felt confident that I was in safe hands and that her recommendation would improve my quality of hearing.

In conclusion, I would commend this member of NHS' Lothian's Audiology team - I learned a great deal from 'the expert in the room' in a relatively short time about my ears and how they function - something I'd never give too much thought to before. I definitely feel better for the whole experience!