Midland Hearing Care

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

St Patricks Day 2026Midland Hearing Care would like to wish all our patients and their families a happy St Patrick’s wee...
12/03/2026

St Patricks Day 2026
Midland Hearing Care would like to wish all our patients and their families a happy St Patrick’s weekend!
Please note that the Clinic will be closed on Monday 16th March 2026. The Clinic will re-open on Wednesday 18th March 2024 from 9am.
All calls and emails will be responded to on Tuesday 19th March 2026.

Thank you for your continued support!

World Hearing Day is celebrated on the 3rd of March each year. In marking World Hearing Day as a global event, we aim to...
03/03/2026

World Hearing Day is celebrated on the 3rd of March each year. In marking World Hearing Day as a global event, we aim to both to raise awareness about preventing hearing loss whilst simultaneously promoting ear and hearing care across a range of age-groups and populations.
Ear health is not commonly thought about in most peoples day-to-day activities.

Sometimes looking after our health simply requires you to avoid doing something: simple ear health strategies, such as not inserting foreign objects into the ear canals (including cotton buds or foreign objects), can minimise and avoid the risk of ear infections and wax impactions. Other ear health strategies require you to take action: one example of preventative ear care actions includes water-proofing the ears during swimming with swim plugs, which in turn can reduce the risk of outer ear infection. Another example of taking preventative action would be using ear defenders when in situations with high intensity noise exposure.

As audiologist’s, we frequently make the distinction of EAR and HEARING care – at Midland Hearing Care we want you to have healthy ear systems, as well as a healthy hearing status. One of the best places to start out with ear and hearing care is having a hearing assessment carried out.

What does a hearing assessment entail? From start to finish, an appointment typically is completed within a 60 minute consultation. To start, an in-depth case history is completed. The audiologist will discuss with you situations where you may have previously experienced hearing difficulties; previous concerns regarding ear health; and life-style, to assess whether you are at risk of ear/hearing complications on account of situations arising from your occupation or recreational hobbies.

Testing begins and looks to gain information on the 3 component's of the ear system. The ear system is complex and consists primarily of 3 distinct systems: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.

Otoscopic examination of the outer ear checks the ear canal for any abnormalities or obstructions, and is used to assess the health of the eardrum. Tympanometric testing assesses the middle ear system health – checking the pressure regulation in the middle ear, the ability of the eardrum to move freely, and measuring the ear canal to rule out any ‘pinhole’ perforations on the eardrum.

Audiometric testing, namely Puretone Audiometry and Speech Audiometry, are used to assess the health and function of the inner ear hearing organ. During audiometric testing, you will sit in a sound-proof hearing test booth and carry out the hearing test. Typically, you will need to listen for sounds and press a button in response to hearing a ‘beep’. During speech testing, you will be asked to repeat back a series of simple words, playing at varying volumes. Speech-in-noise tests may also be completed, which help ascertain the brains ability to process and understand speech in the presence of background noise.

Routine hearing assessments hold an important place at the core of hearing health awareness – we encourage people from all age ranges to come and get their hearing formally tested so as to have a clear picture of their ear and hearing health.
Please get in touch with Midland Hearing Care: please contact us on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com to schedule an appointment

7 Fun facts about your cats’ ears and hearing! Anyone who has opened a can of cat food and had their kitty run to the ki...
25/02/2026

7 Fun facts about your cats’ ears and hearing!

Anyone who has opened a can of cat food and had their kitty run to the kitchen from across the house won’t be shocked to learn that cats have much better hearing than people do.
1. According to a review published by Louisiana State University, cats can usually hear sounds pitched almost two octaves higher than what humans can hear–and one octave higher than what most dogs can detect. No wonder a mouse squeak is no trouble for them to hear!
2. The Feline Ear are Unique
The outer ear is the visible portion: the ‘’pinna’’ and the ear canal. A cat’s ear canal is much deeper than a human’s, funneling sounds trapped by the pinna down into the eardrum more efficiently.
3. Righting Reflex
The inner ear contains the hearing and balance system. The inner ear transmits hearing information from the middle ear to the brain for processing. It is also the home of the cat’s vestibular (balance) system, which is incredibly sensitive and much more advanced than a human’s ear, allowing cats to be much more agile. Ever wondered why your cat always manages to always land on their feet? It is due to this advanced balance ‘righting-reflex’.
4. Cats Have Mobile Outer Ears
Humans have six muscles in our outer ear/’’pinna’’. Cats have 32, enabling cats to rotate their ears a full 180 degrees! Not only does this allow cats to display their mood (angry: flat ears: happy ears are upwards), they can point their ears in the direction of faint and far-away sounds to hear them more clearly.
5. Cats’ ‘Henry’s Pockets’ are a mystery, this is the thin flap of skin on the outside of the ear, its significance isn’t clear. There is a theory that this skin flap helps cats detect higher-pitched sounds, but it may also serve no function at all.
6. Cats Are Born Without Ear Canals.
When kittens are born, the ear canal is closed and cannot transmit sound from the outer ear to the eardrum. This means that until they are at least 1 week old, kittens can’t hear anything at all. Kitten ear anatomy likely protects their ears in the birth canal. Once the ear canal opens, the rest of their systems begin to mature, allowing kittens can hear progressively quieter sounds.
7. Deafness Is Common in White Cats with Blue Eyes
The most common gene to be involved in this coat and eye colour combination also seems to cause degeneration of the inner ear structures early in life. White cats with one blue eye are also commonly deaf in the ear on the side of the blue eye. There are a few genes that can lead to white coats and blue eyes, so not all cats with the combination are affected—but it is suspected that up to 80% are…

If you would like to schedule a hearing test at our clinic, please contact Midland Hearing Care on 043 336 8029 or email info@midlandhearingcare.com to schedule an appointment.

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

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