By Lily Jobson for Mailonline
08:39 02 Jul 2024, updated 09:10 02 Jul 2024
Holly Hagan has revealed she has been fitted with hearing aids after years of ‘difficulty’ hearing.
The 31-year-old Geordie Shore star opened up about her shocking health scare on Instagram on Monday, saying she’s overjoyed to finally be able to hear.
Holly explained that in the past she often had lip pain and often felt ’embarrassed’ when she couldn’t follow conversations.
In a video, Holly took fans through the process of getting her hearing aids fitted, emphasizing the importance of breaking the stigma associated with getting hearing aids fitted at a young age.
The mother of one said: ‘Finally my hearing has been restored by Boots Hearingcare after struggling with it for 7/8 years.
‘I’m judged as harsh on certain sounds, which explains why turning up the TV has never helped.
‘I worked so hard to decipher conversations and always felt embarrassed to ask people to repeat themselves. I could tune in to family but struggled with new voices in busy environments, and often came across as rude or disinterested.’
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Holly said Covid made her hearing “10x worse” because she couldn’t read lips anymore, which she could when people wore masks.
She added: ‘Covid made it worse when I realised I read lips and masks made it 10x harder. The difference with hearing aids was overwhelming but incredible. I’m starting at 70% to let my brain adjust.
“There is a stigma around hearing aids, but if you can’t see well, you wear glasses, no matter what age you are. Premature hearing loss can happen for many reasons. They also have great features like built-in Bluetooth, so I don’t need headphones anymore.
‘I would recommend anyone who is suffering from hearing problems to go to Boots Hearingcare and get it checked. It is really worth it. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.
‘If you are over 50, you can get a free hearing test at Boots Hearingcare. If you are under 50, you will need to be referred by your GP for your free hearing test at Boots Hearingcare.’
Fans praised the reality star for speaking openly about her secret health issue and congratulated her en masse in the comments.
Some of the comments said: ‘Well done honey for coming out and saying something!! My 26 year old son has had hearing problems since birth and had to have a huge operation. They grew him a new eardrum and he has titanium for little bones!!
‘He now has 75-80% hearing. He still struggles with large groups of people and can’t hear well when everyone is talking at once etc.. hearing loss can really affect people especially young adults!! So thanks again and this will help so many people xxxx’
‘I am so happy for you Holly, such a lovely lady, well done for speaking out and taking us out and educating us. I didn’t know you could get such small hearing aids. X you look beautiful as always’
Holly and her husband, professional footballer Jacob Blyth, have a 12-month-old son, Alpha.
Jacob, 31, and Holly confirmed their relationship in June 2017. They announced their engagement in June 2019 and married in June 2022.
Holly previously dated Geordie Shore co-star Kyle Christie from 2014 to 2017.