For two decades young radio producer Kate Wright struggled through life with the hearing of an 80-year-old. Then one routine visit to a doctor changed her life. As a charity reveals nearly four million of us could be suffering with poor hearing, reporter GLENN EBREY investigates a problem we should all be keeping an ear out for ...

SINCE she left primary school Kate Wright has been a total pain in the neck - literally.

She has been a pain for her friends and loved ones, who have continually had to repeat sentences and sometimes even whole conversations.

And she has also caused herself pain by having to crane her neck towards the speaker every time she is being talked to.

The reason? For 20 years Kate was unaware of one thing - she was living with the hearing of someone almost three times her age.

The roots of her hearing problems can be traced back to when she suffered a strain of viral meningitis at the age of 11.

Kate, of Devonshire Drive, Greenwich, says the illness left her in "excruciating pain" for around six months.

But the one thing she did not realise was how much damage the bout of meningitis had done to her long-term hearing.

She said: "When I started at university I always used to sit at the front in seminars so I could hear what was being said. I had bad neck and posture problems because I always had to crane my neck to hear people."

Kate, 31, only discovered the full extent of her problem when she went to see a doctor last year.

She added: "They told me I had been living with the hearing of an 80-year-old for 20 years.

"I was shocked. I thought I had a little problem but I didn't realise just how serious it was."

The BBC World Service producer has now had two hearing aids fitted, which she says have given her a new lease of life.

She is urging others to get their hearing tested earlier than she did, to avoid a lifetime of unnecessary pain.

Kate, who has two adopted children, said: "I could always hear things but never the complexities and subtleties of different sounds.

"I took my boyfriend down to Brighton a couple of weeks ago, just to listen to the waves. It was wonderful."

She said: "If you become used to it as I did you don't really realise you have a problem.

"I would urge anyone who is having trouble to get their hearing checked."

Kate has developed a passion for classical music but is in no doubt about the biggest benefit of her new-found hearing.

She said: "My partner is much less grumpy now because he doesn't always have to repeat things."

Time to test your hearing

  • The Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) estimates around four million people in the UK are losing their hearing but doing nothing about it.
  • Another charity, Deafness Research UK, recently carried out a London-wide survey on hearing. This found around one in four people in the capital suffering hearing problems are being forced to miss out on social events.
  • Around 40 per cent of those asked also said poor hearing meant communication with their partner had suffered.
  • The charity has produced a booklet on hearing loss. To obtain a copy, call 020 7679 8970.
  • The RNID has also developed a free telephone hearing check, which allows people to assess the state of their hearing. To find out more, call 0845 600 5555.