Emotional moment: 36-year-old partially deaf man turns on his hearing aid for the first time

This is the emotional moment a partially deaf man turned on his hearing aid for the first time and told loved ones he didn’t realize what he’d been “missing all this time.”

David Tester, 36, had been suffering from hearing problems for two years before getting tested and found he had the hearing of a 60-year-old.

At the time, however, the audiologist suggested that his hearing wasn’t bad enough to take action and that he should just keep an eye on it. A year later, David’s family noticed that his hearing had gotten worse and his doctors agreed.

Footage shows Mr. Tester turning on his hearing aid for the first time at his audiologist’s office, with tears in his eyes and overcome with emotion.

Mr Tester, head of a marketing firm in Hackney, London, said: ‘I tried the hearing aid in the office. The audiologist put on loud restaurant noises so we could simulate the environment.

David Tester, 36, had been having trouble with his hearing for two years before getting tested and found he had the hearing of a 60-year-old.

An emotional clip showed the moment his hearing aid was finally installed and he was overwhelmed by what he could now hear

‘When she turned on the hearing aid, I could suddenly hear her through the busy sound that was playing. That’s when I got emotional, because I realized what I had been missing all this time.’

Mr. Tester began noticing hearing loss in 2022 and found it difficult to hear people sitting directly next to him in busy, noisy spaces.

It is not known what caused his hearing loss, but Mr. Tester believes This is because the evenings are spent right next to the club’s speakers.

Mr Tester added: ‘I’ve spent quite a bit of time in nightclubs so I imagine the loudspeakers from those nights have done some damage.

“All I know is that the audiologist said that my hearing in my left ear has deteriorated, so that’s why I’m getting the hearing aid.”

Of his gradual hearing loss, he said, “It was a gradual change, so I didn’t notice how much it changed my experiences.

It is unknown what caused his hearing loss, but Mr Tester believes it was due to spending nights right next to club speakers. Pictured: Mr Tester smiling after having his hearing aid fitted

‘I spend a lot of time in busy environments like restaurants and bars and I remember feeling like I was asking people to repeat themselves. I could tell something was off, but I didn’t realize how much I was missing.’

Mr. Tester is not yet able to enjoy his hearing aid. He ordered it on July 25 and is still waiting for it to be delivered.

He said: ‘I’m really looking forward to using it in my daily life. It’s a big step to take considering it costs £1,800, as the NHS range wasn’t suitable for the type of situations I need the help in. But I’ve ordered it now and it should be here in just over a week.’