Midland Hearing Care

Midland Hearing Care Exceptional patient centred Diagnostic Audiology service, Specialist Ear Wax Removal & Custom Hearin

It's a girl!We would like to share our wonderful news - Tommy and Jenevieve Butler welcomed baby Annmarie Butler into th...
14/02/2026

It's a girl!

We would like to share our wonderful news - Tommy and Jenevieve Butler welcomed baby Annmarie Butler into the world on Thursday 29th January 2026, weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces. Mother and Baby are both doing well.

Thank you to clinical audiologist Lydia Healy and practice manager Claire Coy for running the clinic and looking after all our patients at Midland Hearing Care while Jenevieve is on maternity leave.

A huge thank you to our families, friends, our clinic's patients and the community of Longford for all their well wishes and support during this special time!

Communication is the heart of any relationship. Whether whispering sweet nothings, reminiscing about cherished memories,...
11/02/2026

Communication is the heart of any relationship. Whether whispering sweet nothings, reminiscing about cherished memories, sharing joys, or resolving conflicts, good hearing ensures we stay emotionally engaged. Misunderstandings due to hearing difficulties can lead to frustration, making it essential to prioritize hearing health especially when planning something special with a loved one.

Here are some tips to create a communication-friendly environment this Valentine’s Day:
1. Plan a Quiet, Cozy Setting
If you or your loved one struggles to hear in noisy restaurants, opt for a quieter café, a home-cooked meal, a scenic picnic, or dining at your favourite restaurant at an off hour when less guests are present. A calmer environment reduces background noise, making it easier to hear and engage in meaningful conversations.

2. Use Hearing-Friendly Technology
Today’s hearing aids are equipped with high-tech features such as noise-reduction and directional microphones, allowing you to focus on your tablemate even when background noise is present. Many hearing aid brands also have accessories such as table microphones that can be placed by the speaker or in the middle of a larger table to hear the immediate conversation more clearly.

3. Enjoy An Experience
Consider a non-traditional Valentine’s date that emphasizes connection beyond words. Activities like a hands-on cooking class, a scenic walk, attending a concert (with hearing protection!), a spa day, can create lasting memories without relying solely on verbal communication.

4. Prioritize Clear Communication
Create an environment where talking about hearing health is encouraged. Let your loved ones know how they can help—whether that’s facing you while speaking, turning down the music, or repeating something if needed.

If hearing loss goes untreated, it can place a barrier between you and others, leading to a breakdown in communication and social isolation. Studies show that those with hearing loss are at greater risk for mental and physical health issues.

This Valentine’s Day, take a moment to appreciate the sounds of loved ones and prioritize your hearing health.

At Midland Hearing Care we specialise in hearing assessments and bespoke hearing aid technology solutions to suit your specific needs.

Let us help keep you connected with others and keep the conversation flowing for years to come!

Tinnitus Week is globally recognized February 2 to 8 February 2026 and aims to raise awareness for those suffering from ...
03/02/2026

Tinnitus Week is globally recognized February 2 to 8 February 2026 and aims to raise awareness for those suffering from Tinnitus. Tinnitus Week 2026 will be centred on Live Music and Tinnitus. https://www.facebook.com/TinnitusUKcharity Tinnitus affects everyday life for many people and can have an impact on overall mental health. The aim of tinnitus week is to better support people living with tinnitus and help ensure their lives remain full of the music, culture and experiences they love – without compromising their hearing health.

Tinnitus is a common medical condition, affecting 10-15% of the population. In simple terms, it is the perception of sound when there is no external source.

For some, tinnitus is an issue that builds gradually. For others, it can present itself quite suddenly. It can be a temporary affliction or one that, unfortunately for some, becomes an ongoing issue.

Common causes of tinnitus are: ear infection, exposure to loud music and noise without ear protection, stress and ageing.

Midland Hearing Care offers expertise in tinnitus assessment and management strategies. If you are experiencing a constant ringing, buzzing, hissing or pulsatile sound in one or both ears please contact our clinic on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com to schedule a tinnitus assessment.

Ear Barotrauma (airplane Ear) happens when your middle ear is affected by sudden changes in air and pressure. Examples o...
28/01/2026

Ear Barotrauma (airplane Ear) happens when your middle ear is affected by sudden changes in air and pressure. Examples of pressure changes may happen if you’re flying in an airplane, riding in an elevator, diving to the bottom of a pool or scuba diving.
Ear barotrauma is a temporary issue that goes away with self-care or when air and water pressure changes stop.

Symptoms and Causes
Ear symptoms are mild, but they can worsen, including: Feeling as if your ear is clogged or blocked, reduced hearing, dizziness or severe ear pain. Very rarely, you may feel fluid oozing from your ear. That may be a sign you have a ruptured eardrum.

What causes ear barotrauma?
Ear barotrauma happens when air or water pressure suddenly changes, putting pressure on your eustachian tubes. Your eustachian tubes run from the back of your middle ear to the back of your throat. The tubes help maintain equal air pressure on both sides of your eardrum by letting outside air into your middle ear.

Air pressure changes when airplanes take off and land. That change happens faster than your eustachian tubes can react. Ear barotrauma can happen more frequently if you have congestion from a cold or allergies. Congestion may block or inflame your eustachian tubes, making it even harder for them to manage air pressure changes.

Here are some suggestions that may help prevent ear barotrauma during air travel:
Take a decongestant before your flight.
Remember to swallow and yawn during plane takeoff and landing.
If you’re traveling with babies or toddlers, encourage them to drink fluids during takeoff and landing.
Chew gum during the flight, especially during takeoff and before the plane begins its descent, to help equalize the pressure.
Blow your nose gently into a tissue to alleviate pressure.
Blow air through your nose while closing your mouth and pinching your nose (Valsalva maneuver).
Wear earplugs to help regulate pressure within your ears.
Or try an Otovent® balloon

Otovent® is a nasal balloon device for auto-inflation of the Eustachian tube (ventilation tube linking ear nose and throat) to equalize negative middle ear pressure.
Otovent® consists of two parts, a latex balloon and a polypropylene nasal applicator, which are connected before use. It is a non-sterile, reusable device (single-person use only).

How does Otovent® work?
Otovent® helps equalizing the pressure in the middle ear when a balloon is inflated from the nose using an auto-inflation technique. Auto-inflation using a nasal balloon increases the nasal pressure, allowing the Eustachian tube to be opened and middle ear pressure to be relieved.

Midland Hearing Care stocks Otovent balloons please visit our e-store:https://www.midlandhearingcare.com/store or contact the clinic on 043 336 8029 or email infor@midlandhearingcare.com

Positive patient reviews Here is what some of our patients are saying: 23 December 2025‘Very thorough and friendly servi...
22/01/2026

Positive patient reviews

Here is what some of our patients are saying:

23 December 2025
‘Very thorough and friendly service, great attention to detail and the resulting assessment helped me understand my hearing loss better than any other professional. Very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended.’ - Catherine Farrell – Hearing assessment
________________________________________
12 December 2025
‘Really thorough and professional service with a good balance of practicality and theory that helped me understand my hearing loss better than any other professional has helped me before. Highly recommended.’ – Anthony McLaughlin – Hearing assessment and custom swim plugs

11 December 2025
‘A very courteous and professional service. They have all the right diagnostic equipment too.’ - Brendan Kiernan - Tinnitus and hearing assessment
________________________________________
10 December 2025
‘Great service. Very warm welcome from both Claire and Genevieve. Everything explained clearly. I would have no hesitation in recommending Midland Hearing Care.’ - Marian Carey – Microsuction wax removal
________________________________________
9 December 2025
‘Everything seems very straightforward here, extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff. I can't thank them enough for the hearing devices and setting up of them have improved my quality of life so much.’ – Tony Naughton – Hearing Aid Patient
________________________________________
8 December 2025
‘Lydia was professional and friendly in her approach and explained the process in a clear manner. I would recommend her. ‘ – Padraic Ward – Hearing Assessment

4 December 2025
‘Visiting this practice was a lovely experience. The staff are so nice and helpful. The Audiologist was very knowledgeable and explained everything is great detail. I would definitely recommend giving them a call if you have any hearing concerns.’ – Vivienne Brennan – microsuction wax removal
________________________________________
26 November 2025
‘Most helpful. Every step of testing & fitting & choosing hearing aids well explained. I was given plenty of time on each visit & I never felt under any pressure to purchase. I felt really at ease. I'm very happy with results to date’ . – John Keane – Hearing Assessment and Hearing Aid Rehabilitation

If looking to schedule an appointment at Midland Hearing Care please contact 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com

Important Clinic News and UpdatesDear patients please be advised that a modified schedule will be in place from mid-Janu...
09/01/2026

Important Clinic News and Updates
Dear patients please be advised that a modified schedule will be in place from mid-January 2026 until mid-May 2026 as Clinical Audiologist, Jenevieve Butler will be on maternity leave.

During this time our team comprising practice manager Claire and clinical audiologist Lydia will be looking after the clinic and the patient caseload while Jenevieve is on her maternity leave.

We would like to thank you for your well wishes and continued support and look forward to sharing the very happy news of 'Baby Butler's arrival' in the coming weeks ahead.

Midland Hearing Care specialises  in comprehensive hearing assessments. With the new year commencing, many people priori...
07/01/2026

Midland Hearing Care specialises in comprehensive hearing assessments. With the new year commencing, many people prioritise health check-ups and getting back into their fitness routines.

Irrespective of age-group it is important to undergo a comprehensive hearing assessment to know where you stand in terms of your hearing health. If an issue is identified in terms of ear or hearing health in a timely manner, intervention and management can help minimise or in some cases reduce any long-term risks associated with unmanaged hearing loss.

Hearing loss in a modifiable risk factor that can prevent longstanding cognitive brain health changes and delay the onset of dementia.

What to expect at Midland Hearing Care?
A comprehensive hearing assessment comprises:
• Otoscopy: Examination of outer ears,
• Tympanometry: Middle ear health check,
• Puretone & bone conduction Audiometry: Hearing assessment in a sound-proof booth,
• Speech audiometry: Speech tests in quiet, speech tests in noise.
All assessments are completed by a highly qualified clinical Audiologist.

Middle ear health check: You will be asked to sit quietly (no talking), a small plastic probe tip will be placed at the entrance of the ear canal. The tympanometry machine will gently change air pressure and generate ‘beeps’ in your ear. A series of automated graphs will be generated, recording movement of the eardrum and middle ear bones.
Hearing assessment: You will be instructed to wear headphones and press a button when hearing sound (beeps). The Audiologist will measure your quietest hearing levels (threshold of hearing) in a quiet environment in a soundproof booth.
Speech Audiometry: Word recognition score (quiet): Words will be presented through headphones at a comfortable listening level in a quiet environment. You will be instructed to repeat these words.
Speech in noise: You will be instructed to listen to a series of sentences in background noise. Try to ignore the background noise and listen to the sentence. You may be able to repeat a few words or part of the sentence or the entire sentence.
Results of the hearing test: The hearing assessment will confirm if your hearing is within normal limits or if there is an underlying hearing loss in one or both ears. A comprehensive report will be provided to you and your GP.

Hearing loss is categorized by which part of the ear is affected.
The most preventable hearing loss is noise-induced hearing loss. The most common hearing loss is an age-related hearing loss.

There are three main types of hearing loss:
1. Conductive hearing loss: This is when sound is not properly conducted through the outer ear canals, eardrum or middle ear bones. This hearing loss may be due to excessive wax, ear infection, perforated eardrum, a foreign body in the ear canal, middle ear tumour (rare), Eustachian tube dysfunction, dislocation of middle ear bones.
2. Sensorineural hearing loss: This hearing loss results in permanent changes to hearing. And occurs when the inner ear is affected by noise exposure, ototoxicity or age-related changes, injury, viral infections, stroke, acoustic tumour, Meniere’s disease, diabetes or may be hereditary.
3. Mixed hearing loss: This hearing loss is due to a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss resulting in changes to the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Onward referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist will be required.

To schedule an appointment, please contact the clinic on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com

We would like to wish our patients a happy and healthy 2026!Midland Hearing Care will re-open on Monday 5th January 2026...
04/01/2026

We would like to wish our patients a happy and healthy 2026!

Midland Hearing Care will re-open on Monday 5th January 2026 from 9am.

Thank you for your continued support.

We would like to wish all our patients and their families a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026.Please be a...
18/12/2025

We would like to wish all our patients and their families a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026.

Please be advised that Midland Hearing Care will close for the Christmas holidays from 12noon on Friday 19th December 2025 and re-open from 9am on Monday 5th January 2026.

Thank you for your continued support!

Midland Hearing Care

'Hearing loss and Christmas festivities' - tips for our hearing loss patients during the festive season The festive seas...
12/12/2025

'Hearing loss and Christmas festivities' - tips for our hearing loss patients during the festive season

The festive season is fast approaching, bringing with it a season of socialising with family and friends and whether it be in the home environment with family around, or out and about on the go with friends, the hustle and bustle of Christmas can often be a challenge for those who are hard of hearing.

Here are some tips for hearing loss patients during the holiday season:
Prepare in advance: If you are a hearing aid wearer, booking into your hearing aid provider for a clean-up/service of your hearing device to ensure everything is in top working order or cleaning up the earpieces, ensuring there is no wax obstructing the device (change filter; clear tubing) and ensuring your device is working reliably yourself prior to the busy Christmas season should put you in a good standing to hear well over the holiday.

Have wax removed: If you are prone to wax build up, it is recommended to have the ears cleaned prior to the start of the so called “silly season” – keeping the ears clear may just make the difference to how you hear!

Of course, one of the biggest challenges reported by individuals with hearing loss is hearing in background noise – and whether it be the sounds of a good holiday dinner being cooked up in kitchen, the joyful carol singing in the street, or the laughter of family around the Christmas tree, there is likely to be challenging listening situations arising for most individuals in the coming weeks. Some of the following tips may help you manage better in noisy listening situations.

Face the noise: If there is an option to sit in a position that allows you to face the room, it will afford you visual cues on the “soundscape” in the room and provide a line of sight to people’s faces which can improve speech understanding in noise.

Soft furnishings: More ideally, sitting in a position that faces the room whilst having soft furnishings behind you (such as a fabric high back seat in a restaurant, or with fabric curtains behind you) may help absorb some of the noise in your listening environment, further improving speech understanding in those tricky listening situations.

Face to face: If you are the one to generously host family and friends, consider pre-arranging seating areas that result in as circular seating arrangement – this will make it easier for getting the face-to-face visual cues, and may alleviate some hearing difficulty during group discussions. Remind those you love to get your attention first before they start speaking to you, or to rephrase themselves rather than repeating the same sentence if you are struggling to hear them in noise.
Take your breaks: An often-overlooked aspect of living with a hearing loss is Listening Fatigue – it takes additional mental effort, attention and focus to listen and take part in conversation, particularly in noise, when you are living with a hearing loss. Often, people with a hearing loss report feeling drained, overwhelmed or wiped out after a busy social situation, whether it’s the family visiting or heading out to listen to your favourite band play.

It is recommended to take breaks during the busy holiday season, where you take a brief step out of the hustle and bustle and find some peace and quiet for a brief ‘break’ from the difficult listening situations.

We are here to help
Look after your hearing health, please contact the clinic to schedule a wax removal or hearing assessment appointment.

Please get in touch:
Email us: info@midlandhearingcare.com Landline: 043 336 8029
Clinic hours: By appointment only. Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.

Ear Barotrauma (airplane Ear) happens when your middle ear is affected by sudden changes in air and pressure. Examples o...
02/12/2025

Ear Barotrauma (airplane Ear) happens when your middle ear is affected by sudden changes in air and pressure. Examples of pressure changes may happen if you’re flying in an airplane, using an elevator, diving to the bottom of a pool or scuba diving. Ear barotrauma is a temporary issue that goes away with self-care or when air and water pressure changes stop.

Symptoms and Causes:
Ear symptoms are mild, but they can worsen, including: feeling as if your ear is clogged or blocked, reduced hearing, dizziness or severe ear pain. Very rarely, you may feel fluid oozing from your ear. That may be a sign you have a ruptured eardrum.

What causes ear barotrauma?
Ear barotrauma happens when air or water pressure suddenly changes, putting pressure on your eustachian tubes. Your eustachian tubes run from the back of your middle ear to the back of your throat. The tubes help maintain equal air pressure on both sides of your eardrum by letting outside air into your middle ear. Air pressure changes when airplanes take off and land. That change happens faster than your eustachian tubes can react. Ear barotrauma can happen more frequently if you have congestion from a cold or allergies. Congestion may block or inflame your eustachian tubes, making it even harder for them to manage air pressure changes.

Here are some suggestions that may help prevent ear barotrauma during air travel:
Take a decongestant before your flight.
Remember to swallow and yawn during plane take-off and landing.
If you’re traveling with babies or toddlers, encourage them to drink fluids during take-off and landing.
Chew gum during the flight, especially during take-off and before the plane begins its descent, to help
equalize the pressure.
Blow your nose gently into a
tissue to alleviate pressure.
Blow air through your nose while closing your mouth and pinching your nose (Valsalva manoeuvre).
Wear earplugs to help regulate pressure within your ears.

Or try an Otovent®balloon - a nasal balloon device for auto-inflation of the Eustachian tube to equalize negative middle ear pressure.
Otovent® consists of two parts, a latex balloon and a polypropylene nasal applicator, which are connected before use. It is a non-sterile, reusable device (single-person use only).
How does Otovent® work? Otovent® helps equalizing the pressure in the middle ear when a balloon is inflated from the nose using an auto-inflation technique. Auto-inflation using a nasal balloon increases the nasal pressure, allowing the Eustachian tube to be opened. YouTube Instruction Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5Y_bUqmQ1o

Otovent® balloons are available to order from Midland Hearing Care Reception or our e-store. if you are keen to prevent ‘airplane’ ear please contact our clinic on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com.

Thinking of gift ideas for family and friends this coming Christmas? Why not avail of a range of wonderful local busines...
12/11/2025

Thinking of gift ideas for family and friends this coming Christmas?

Why not avail of a range of wonderful local businesses and services in Longford Town by shopping locally.

Midland Hearing Care vouchers are available to purchase and can be used for Diagnostic Hearing Assessments / or Wax Removal Consultations / or to purchase a set of Custom Earplugs – we offer a range of custom ear plugs : swim plugs/ sleep plugs/ motor sport/ skydiving / industrial noise protection/ gun sport and much more!

*Vouchers are available upon request and range from €50 up to €250.

Please contact the clinic on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com for more information.

Address

1 Church Street
An Longfort
N39KR86

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+353433368029

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Midland Hearing Care posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram