One of the questions I hear regularly in clinic is, “How do I know if I actually need a hearing test?”

It’s a good question. And the answer is often rather more subtle than people expect.

Hearing loss rarely happens overnight. It usually develops so gradually that we adapt to it without really noticing. A little more television volume here. Asking someone to repeat themselves there. Perhaps avoiding the noisy restaurant because conversation has somehow become exhausting.

And because these changes happen slowly, we often blame everything except our hearing.

People are mumbling.

The television programmes aren’t recorded properly anymore.

Restaurants have become ridiculously noisy.

Sound familiar?

One of the first things many people notice is that they can hear someone talking but can’t quite understand what they’re saying. This is particularly noticeable in busy places where background noise competes with speech.

That’s because hearing isn’t simply about volume. It’s about clarity.

As hearing changes, some of the finer speech sounds become harder to hear. You may still hear a person’s voice perfectly well, but miss the small sounds that allow your brain to work out exactly what they’ve said.

Another clue is tiredness.

Listening to a conversation shouldn’t feel like hard work. But when your hearing isn’t giving your brain all the information it needs, your brain has to work harder to fill in the gaps. By the end of a family meal or an evening with friends, you may feel surprisingly exhausted.

Perhaps the most telling sign, however, is when somebody else notices.

A partner might say, “You didn’t hear me.”

A family member might complain that the television is too loud.

A friend may suggest that you have your hearing checked.

They may actually have noticed something you haven’t.

From the clinic

I often tell patients that a hearing test isn’t about proving that something is wrong. Sometimes it simply provides reassurance that everything is fine.

And if there is a hearing loss, knowing exactly what is happening is much better than guessing.

A hearing assessment is straightforward, painless and informative. It gives you an opportunity to understand your hearing properly and decide what, if anything, you want to do about it. There is no prize for waiting until your hearing becomes a serious problem.

If you’ve noticed that conversations are becoming harder, you’re asking people to repeat themselves more often, or you’re simply thinking, “My hearing isn’t quite as good as it used to be,” that’s reason enough to have it checked.

Sometimes the best outcome of a hearing test is reassurance.

And sometimes, understanding what you’ve been missing is the first step towards hearing life more clearly again.

Contact Protea Wellness Audiology

Call: 698 418 642

www.proteawellnessaudiology.es

contact@proteawellnessaudiology.es

Address: Quesada Business Centre, Calle Los Arcos 17, Ciudad Quesada, 03170

Neil Diamond fans can enjoy an evening of classic hits when tribute performer Rees brings The Neil Diamond Experience to Lo Crispin Tavern & Beer Garden in Algorfa on Saturday, September 12.

The show will celebrate the songs of one of the world’s most successful singer-songwriters, with a set drawing on a career spanning decades.

Neil Diamond classics will fill the Lo Crispin beer garden

Audiences can expect familiar favourites including “Sweet Caroline”, “Cracklin’ Rosie”, “Love on the Rocks”, “Forever in Blue Jeans”, “Song Sung Blue” and “I Am… I Said”, alongside more from Diamond’s extensive catalogue.

The evening takes place in the beer garden, with meals served from 7:00 PM before the tribute show begins at 9:00 PM.

Rees will take audiences through some of the songs that made Neil Diamond an international star, with the Saturday night performance offering fans the chance to hear many of his best-known hits together in one show.

€15 ticket includes an evening meal and tribute show

Tickets cost €15 per person, including a meal and the show.

Meal choices include scampi with chips, peas and tartare sauce; gammon steak with chips and peas; or lasagne with chips and garlic bread.

Ice cream is included for dessert, while vegetarian alternatives include lasagne, curry and Mexican-style pizza.

A children’s menu will also be available for youngsters aged 12 and under, allowing families to attend the evening together.

Meals will be served from 7:00 PM, giving diners plenty of time to eat before The Neil Diamond Experience begins at 9:00 PM.

Bookings are open for the September 12 performance in Algorfa

Lo Crispin Tavern is open Monday to Sunday from 11:00 AM until 11:30 PM.

The venue is located at Avenida de las Naciones 55A, Algorfa.

With dinner included in the €15 ticket price, the September 12 event combines an evening meal with a full tribute to the music of Neil Diamond in the venue’s beer garden.

For bookings and further information, call (+34) 966 924 828 or email locrispintavern@hotmail.com.

Costa del Sol fundraiser Alan Boardman has given his Fun Quiz for Charity a new regular home at Christy’s Irish Gastropub in Fuengirola. Tuesdays at 2.30pm is the slot, handy for just after lunch and fancy a giggle that also pays for something useful.

Seeing how popular Alan’s quizzes are, Christy’s have already talked him into hosting the quiz weekly, on a temporary trial basis during September. That is quite a jump from the old every-other-week rhythm at Fibbers in Torreblanca and Dixie’s in town. Alan still writes every round himself, in that slightly cheeky style regulars already know and love. Someone did leave an English quiz book behind the bar, which is a rum find in an Irish pub, but he will not be nicking questions from it. He has been doing this long enough not to need to cut corners.

Small price for great causes in the heart of Fuengirola’s social scene

Entry is still €2 a head. Every euro goes to a registered local cause. Alan rotates the beneficiary between an animal charity and one that helps people. Past quiz pots have gone to Pawsawhile Dog Rescue, ADIMI in Mijas, SEARCH in Coin, El Vuelo de las Libelulas, Last Chance Animal Rescue and Cudeca. Right now the pot is for Aristochat, the Mijas Costa cat shelter, which takes in abandoned cats and finds them forever homes.

Christy’s is right in the middle of Fuengirola at Calle Olleria 20, an easy stroll from the Paseo. Staff are the same familiar faces week in, week out, and the covered terrace is private, air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. First quiz day they sat 40 without a squeeze and still had room for latecomers. Sightlines are good and the sound carries, so nobody is craning round a pillar.

Perfect timing after a morning at Fuengirola market

Hungry types can sit the Tuesday roast first. It is a smaller plate than the Sunday roast that made the pub’s name, but it is only €9.95, with the main menu still available. Coffee, tea and soft drinks are on if 2.30pm feels early for what many call the best Guinness in town.

Jenny Boardman keeps the books tidy. Alan and Jenny post the accounts on their Facebook pages so anyone can see the cash went where they said it would. Same idea as his Mijas walking tours, which have now passed €30,000 for 27 local charities.

Turn up as a four or on your own for the now legendary fun quizzes for charity; Alan will park solos with a friendly table. Tables for food: WhatsApp Christy’s on +34 620 226 911.