Rula Lenska is set to uncover her family’s history on ITV’s DNA Journey tonight (April 12).
The actress, 74, appears on the series alongside former Coronation Street star and pal Maureen Lipman, 75.
But fans of the former soap star may not know that Rula has battled hearing loss for many years.
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Rula Lenska on her battle with hearing loss
According to Rula, her hearing problems began after going scuba diving in the late nineties.
Back in 2013, she told The Mirror: “I’d been diving near coral. Being a living organism, it can enter your ear and damage the cilia – the tiny hairs in the inner ear – and lead to loss of hearing.
“Not long after my holiday, the infection set in and my ear was excruciatingly painful. I was prescribed strong antibiotics to clear it up but it took ages to heal.”
My ear was excruciatingly painful.
The actress explained that her hearing started to deteriorate from that point.
She added: “But I didn’t start realising something was wrong until I began turning up the TV, not realising people were talking to me if my back was turned and, increasingly, having to ask people to repeat what they said.”
Rula’s hearing began to affect her daily life.
She later discovered the severity of the situation during a routine check up with a doctor.
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“I’d lost about 30% of the higher frequency hearing in my right ear and 20% in the left,” Rula said.
Now, Rula wears hearing aides in both of her ears – and she hasn’t looked back!
In 2011, the star opened up on the benefits of wearing hearing aides.
Rula ‘astounded’ after seeking help
Speaking to The Daily Mail, she said: “I was astounded by the amount of noise I’d grown used to not hearing. I realised I couldn’t hear birdsong properly – I could hear some of it but not the full 3D version.
“Children and women with high-pitched voices were difficult to hear clearly and even intimate whispering could be a struggle.”
In addition, Rula added: “They are little miracles of technology and they are getting better and better.”
DNA Journey with Rula Lenska and Dame Maureen Lipman airs on Tuesday 12th April at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
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