Missing out on key conversations in the office alerted Paul Rodriguez to his hearing loss. It was when he realised he was becoming the butt of people's jokes at work because of his hearing issues that Paul Rodriguez decided to do something about it.

Today he's a man transformed, he can now hold his own in the office, his confidence has soared and his general health has improved. "Work is a busy place and there's all sorts going on, especially in meetings where everyone is talking at once, but now I can hear everything that's being said," he says.

"Before I went to Amplifon I was missing out on so much at work and that's what made me realise I had hearing loss. People were talking to me and I wasn't picking it up. "It also made me the butt of other people's jokes. They'd deliberately start talking behind my back knowing that I couldn't hear them and then get louder, and once they started laughing I'd realise I was the subject of some silly prank. "Then, as a joke, someone brought me an off-the-shelf hearing aid from their holidays. I used it but it wasn't that comfortable."

By that point it wasn't just his work life that had been suffering - his social life had taken a hit too.

"Restaurants were another place where I struggled. I used to go out and feel irritated with all the background noise."

"Amplifon was recommended to me by a friend who works as an audiologist. I'd envisaged a white building with someone in a white jacket, kind of like a dental surgery, but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. When they offered me a free trial for three weeks I thought it was a great idea. It's one thing trying them out at the centre, but it's far more realistic to see how they work in a car, in your home or in a working environment.

"When I first put them in and walked outside, I was stunned. I couldn't believe how much I'd missed out on." As well as improving his hearing, Amplifon's help has meant his confidence has soared, boosting his social life.

"When I'm out for a meal I can filter the background noise out and concentrate on the person sitting opposite me. It's meant I can enjoy going out for meals again." The fact the device is practically invisible has helped Paul too.

"The off-the-shelf devices I'd used in the past were uncomfortable and I was conscious people could see them. "When I go out to new environments now and introduce myself to people they aren't aware I'm wearing hearing aids, which is fantastic.

"It's opened up everything now, like when you get new glasses and can see everything much more clearly. Having them has made me feel a lot more confident, I just wish I'd gone to Amplifon much sooner."

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