Daunting steps in a silent world... IMAGINE being without one of your five senses - how different your life would be. For nine million people, having poor hearing is a reality, according to the RNID, the largest charity representing deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the UK. To find out more about the challenges the disability presents, SARAH DALE became deaf for a day.

Byline: SARAH DALE 

TO lose one of your senses suddenly is a daunting and humbling experience.

Luckily for me it was part of a challenge to see how I could cope with simple daily tasks - such as boarding a bus and asking for directions in a shop - without one of my all-important five senses.

Fitted with audio blockers in my ears to give me 30% hearing loss, I was set various daily challenges by hearing healthcare experts, Amplifon, to gain an understanding of the condition.

First I was given a routine hearing test which found my ears to be in fine working order.

But then, with my hearing impaired, my challenges included: asking for directions in a shop and a helpdesk; boarding a bus; asking about the exchange rate in the post office; ordering coffee in a crowded cafe and enquiring about iPods in a noisy music shop.

Having a conversation with Robert Gray, a registered hearing aid audiologist for Amplifon, which is based on Corporation Road in Middlesbrough, was no problem when we were in his quiet office.

But once in the busy town centre I found I needed to concentrate harder to hear what was said to me and I also began talking a lot quieter because my voice sounded louder to me.

The click clack of my heels seemed to echo through my brain whereas the babble of the crowd was muted.

The loud chatter of customers milling in and out of the shops was a shock when I removed the audio blockers.

Many people with this level of hearing loss literally suffer in silence but Robert stresses the importance of seeking help.

There is a whole range of hearing aids available, some so minute they are only noticeable on very close inspection.

Robert adds: "With mild hearing loss Sarah coped reasonably well in most situations but whenever there was background noise or other distractions going on it was more difficult for her.

"As the day went on Sarah found it more isolating and tiring." * To book an appointment for a free hearing test with the Robert Gray, call 0845 241 2006.

Did you know? BY LAW, employers are required to put into place provisions for the reduction of noise as well as measures that safeguard the health of their employees' hearing? Did you know? THERE are 2.2m people using hearing aids in the UK, but there are four million people with an aidable hearing loss who are not receiving any help.

How to protect your hearing 1. Pay close attention to your hearing.

2. Protect yourself from noise. It causes damage not only to hearing but to the entire body. In fact, it can provoke high blood pressure, arrhythmia and stomach upset.

3. Avoid loud music at concerts or in headphones. 4. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. They can be toxic for hearing because they can damage the delicate mechanism that regulates the transmission of sound to the brain.

5. Prevent and treat ear infections quickly, see your doctor right away. The most serious threat is ear infection, a frequent illness especially in children. If left untreated it can cause irreversible forms of deafness.

6. Use medications, especially antibiotics, only as prescribed by a doctor. 7. Only use cotton swabs made for cleaning ears and only use them to clean the auricle/outer ear. Using swabs to clean deep in the auditory canal could cause infection or damage the eardrum.

8. Have your hearing tested regularly after the age 65 or if you are having hearing problems, especially if you work in a noisy environment.

9. Learn to recognise the first signs of hearing loss. With advancing age, the ear tends to lose and confuse certain sounds above all high frequencies, for example, the consonants c, s, f, z, women's or babies' voices, bells, or the telephone. 10. Deal with hearing problems promptly. 11. If you suspect you have a hearing problem see a reputable otorinolaryngologist (ENT) or audiologist immediately. 12. If the doctor prescribes a hearing device, go a reputable and recognised dealer.

CAPTION(S):

ALL ABOARD: But Sarah Dale, above, finds boarding a bus presents whole new set of challenges with her hearing vastly reduced READY FOR THE TEST: Sarah Dale with Robert Gray, a hearing aid audiologist CHALLENGES: Sarah seeks directions at the Mall in Middlesbrough