Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Welcome to the Winter 2011 issue of SoundWaves – the Hearing Healthcare Centre quarterly newsletter.
We hope you find the information in this newslsetter interesting and useful. We always appreciate your views and comments.
It is with regret that we have to inform our Peterborough clients that Norma, our practice manager, has
had to leave us due to family circumstances. We wish her and all her family well. My wife Conny is stepping
in to fill the post in her absence.
We have been keeping very busy over the last few months and have found the new Widex Clear range and the Signature range to be exceptionally successful. Both companies have produced instruments which are very well designed and with additional devices for TV, phone and remote control units which are easy to use and work extremely well. Widex have also just produced a cordless phone which needs no setting up with their hearing instruments but communicates wirelessly to both aids without the need to hold the earpiece to the ear. For any normal hearing user it can be used like any ordinary phone. For more information please contact the Cambridge office on 01223 360700.
t the latter part of September, I was invited to the 60th anniversary of Snetterton with my MG “Emma”, where the Aston Martin Owners Club and Ferrari Owners Club were racing on the new 300 track. These two clubs were the first to race on this track when it was first used as an alternative to Firsfield. I was asked to take Emma for a parade lap and so invited Jack Seers, (a friend and colleague of Archie Scott Brown) to ride shotgun with me. He had never been in the car during Archie’s ownership so was
delighted to join me. We only had the safety car and a full race Ford Cosworth for company so after they took off we were able to give the car a good bit of exercise around the new track which was a great thrill for us both.
Nature has equipped all mammals with two equally functioning ears as a primary means of survival, both for locating food and for hearing approaching danger. For humans, two-eared hearing is just as necessary to survive in our modern noisy societies; to hear in traffic, in crowds and to understand speech. Hearing properly with two ears means the difference between simply listening to noise and hearing clearly with understanding.
The hearing centre of the brain relies on two independent ‘microphones’- the ears. If only one ear is functioning properly, there will be difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments and in locating the direction from which the sound is coming. Scientific research as well as individual experience, confirms that most people with a hearing loss in both ears, can benefit greatly from wearing binaural (stereophonic) hearing instruments i.e. a hearing instrument for each ear that responds to sound correction. The major benefits are:-
Better understanding in noisy places – By wearing two hearing instruments rather than just one, selective listening is more easily achieved. This means your brain can focus on the conversation you want to hear and reduce the amount of unwanted background noise more easily.
Better identification of sound direction – Sound direction identification is called ‘localisation’ and is dependent upon two equally functioning ears. The effect can be dramatic if the sound is a warning signal such as an approaching car.
Clearer reception of softly-spoken words – When only one hearing instrument is worn, volume has to be at a higher level to compensate and this exaggerates interfering background noise and can distort these sounds.
Better sound quality – By wearing an instrument in each ear you increase your hearing distance range and this greater range provides a better sense of sound balance and quality.
Smoother tone quality – Amplification from two hearing instruments requires less volume than with one alone. This results in less distortion and better reproduction of amplified sound.
Better feeling of balance – Hearing with both ears results in a feeling of balanced sound reception also known as the “stereo effect”. Hearing with one ear often creates an unusual feeling of having a blocked or ‘dead’ ear.
Less tiring – Many binaural hearing instrument wearers report that listening to conversations is both less tiring and stressful because a lower volume is required to hear clearly, compared to hearing with one ear.
Two hearing instruments are not always suitable, but when they are, you can be sure that your hearing aid audiologist has your best hearing interest in mind.
Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing in one or both ears and although many people have experienced this condition temporarily after being in a noisy environment or whilst suffering from a head cold, for over 7 million people in the UK, it never goes away.
Tinnitus has been and still is the object of extensive research in terms of establishing effective treatment methods or management strategies. Tinnitus is for many a distressing noise leading to increased stress and affected quality of life.
As stress is one of the highest exacerbating factors involved with tinnitus, stress reduction is a vital element in effective tinnitus management. To this end and inspired by the relaxing effect of certain types of music, Widex, a Danish hearing instrument manufacturing company, developed ‘Zen’ programs to help tinnitus sufferers.
Based on what is known as fractal technology which ensures that the music is predictable without repeating itself, Zen is a unique music program available in some Widex hearing instruments. Zen plays random, chime-like tones that can be used for relaxation and for making tinnitus less noticeable.
An experiment was conducted in 2009 at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to determine the effectiveness of fractal tones, contained within this hearing instrument, with tinnitus patients. The experiment concluded that fractal tones corrected for hearing loss are effective in relaxing the tinnitus sufferer, as well as reducing the annoyance of tinnitus.
To find out more information on this technology, simply call us on 01733 392910.
Quintus Pedius was a Roman painter and the first deaf person in recorded history known by name. He is the first recorded deaf painter and his schooling is the first recorded education of a deaf child.
Long gone are the days when a hearing aid was a large, obvious, embarrassing flesh-coloured prosthesis with poor performance. Just like computers and mobile telephones from a decade ago, modern hearing aids are now available as much smaller devices and they
perform in unthinkable ways compared to ten years ago. The best type of hearing assistance depends on the level of hearing loss, lifestyle and size of ear canal. However, they are all significantly less noticeable than trying to cope unaided with hearing difficulties.
Here’s how to make your batteries last longer.
Zinc-air batteries should also be given a little time to “charge up” before they can be used. After removing the coloured tab, the battery will need air to work and it takes about a minute before the air has reacted to the zinc in the battery cell.
Do not throw batteries away once they have been used. They pollute the environment. Instead, hand them in to us where they will be sent to be recycled.
LACE (Listening and Communication Enhancement) is an interactive software training program that enhances your ability to communicate by maximizing listening skills and communication strategies.
Who can use LACE?
LACE is intended for adult patients, with or without hearing loss who have difficulty understanding speech in challenging listening environments where there are noisy surroundings, fast talkers or competing voices.
We hear with our ears but we listen with our brain. LACE retrains the brain and can improve comprehension by more than 40% in difficult situations. Contact us for further details.
On 7th & 8th October 2011, AIHHP – The Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals held its Autumn conference in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
After a very full and intensive day spent listening to three extremely interesting keynote presentations and then further in-depth workshops to increase delegates knowledge and keep up to date with the very latest developments in the profession, delegates and manufacturer representatives were then entertained with the 2011 Golden Lobes Awards & Gala dinner.
This is an annual event that allows the association’s members to vote for a range of products, innovative concepts and stand-out individuals that have made a real difference to both audiologists and end-users of hearing assistive systems.
The awards ceremony has now become an event not to be missed and the nominations submitted for each category are of an ever-increasing standard of excellence. For an individual or company to receive an AIHHP ‘Golden Lobe’ is judged to be a high point in their service to this
profession.
Posted in Soundwaves Newsletter | Comments Off
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Practice News
Hearing is one thing… but listening is quite another!
How many times have we heard “Sorry…I know your talking but I can’t hear what you’re saying”. We hear with our ears but we listen with our brain. The problem happens frequently in many situations and we have often featured articles relating to just how important the brain and cognitive processing is in our ability to hear clearly and understand speech. However, we are pleased to announce that we now have a new and innovative practical training programme to improve listening skills whether or not you wear hearing correction. It will help the brain improve communication skills such as: understanding speech in noise; focusing on one voice in the presence of other voices and increasing auditory memory. The solution is called ‘LACE’ and it stands for Listening & Communication Enhancement. Just as physical therapy can rebuild muscles to compensate for physical weakness, LACE will help develop skills and strategies to deal with situations when hearing alone is inadequate. Whether you wear hearing aids, are just acquiring hearing aids, or simply wish to improve your listening skill, LACE training will help you get the most out of the sounds of life. LACE retrains the brain to improve comprehension by more than 40% in difficult situations. The self-paced interactive 20 half hour sessions can be run on a home computer or DVD player. To learn more about LACE, contact us for further details.
Recognition of Excellence
The Hearing Healthcare Centre’s reputation is built upon the provision of the highest level of care and service to our clients and this has been recognised by the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals (AIHHP) as being of the highest standard designating us a ‘Centre of Excellence’. These ‘Centres of Excellence’ are only awarded to a select, highly skilled professional group who demonstrate exemplary customer care and technical expertise. Making sure that a client receives the greatest possible benefit from their hearing instruments is a highly skilled job. Unlike a pair of glasses where the skill lies in the initial diagnosis and the resulting prescription can simply be “popped on”, hearing aids require a huge amount of time and expertise after the diagnosis. Every hearing instrument must be delicately tailored to each individual’s hearing ability. They require skilled, precise electronic programming and adjustment as the client becomes accustomed to their new
world of sound. This fine-tuning can take several appointments over a number of months and it is this careful procedure that ensures the wearer is getting the most from the hearing aids that they have invested in. To be recognised as a Centre of Excellence, the Hearing Healthcare Centre was able to demonstrate a commitment to expertise, training and professional development in a clinical and caring environment and a comprehensive aftercare programme. Chris Carr, owner of the Hearing Healthcare Centre said “We are delighted that the care and service we offer our clients has been recognised by AIHHP. Our ethos has always been to put the client first and we are prepared to spend as much time as is necessary to make sure that our customers get the best out of their hearing systems. We guarantee that this level of care makes a real, audible difference to our clients”.
Rayovac crowned by Queen’s Award
Rayovac, the world’s longest standing hearing aid battery manufacturer and only UK-based one, has been given the royal seal of approval and awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on a UK based company and is awarded each year to those demonstrating outstanding achievement. Vince Armitage, divisional VP at Rayovac, said: “This is great news for Rayovac. The pace of change in battery technology is increasing all time as manufacturers of hearing aids continue to add new digital features to their devices which need more power. We’re working hard to anticipate these developments by constantly improving the power and reliability of batteries.”
Stay cool in the summer heat…
We all look so forward to having a holiday break in the sun but none of us want our enjoyment ruined by having a hearing aid go wrong on the very first day – a problem we hear happening all too frequently. Make sure you have a pre-holiday hearing aid check up a week or two before you go (just in case your device needs a laboratory repair) and take one of our hearing aid holiday travel kits to ensure a trouble free vacation available from our reception.
That’s Purr-fect
Smokey the pet cat, officially has the LOUDEST purr ever recorded and is now entered into the Guinness World
Records. 12-year-old Smokey from Northampton, peaked at 67.7 decibels, which is about 16 times louder than a normal cat, but
has been known to reach a deafening 92db – the same sound level as a hair dryer or lawnmower. Confirming the pussy’s purr-themed
title, a Guinness spokesperson said: ‘It’s incredible to think a purr can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner!’
Did You Know?
Moose have exceptional hearing, thanks to their huge ears which are 60% bigger than human ears and can rotate independently in almost every direction. Their antlers also act like giant hearing aids focussing sounds to their ears from up to two miles away.
Signature: Bespoke hearing assistance
Our desire to deliver exemplary hearing care and value for money without compromising on quality is now available with our own bespoke hearing instrument called ‘Signature’. Easier speech clarity in noise and unparalleled sound quality were two of the most important criteria we looked for and we are pleased to announce that Signature achieves both these goals. Signature spotlights technology featured in all premium brands but at a lower cost. Based on the latest research, Signature recognises the fact that we all experience sound differently. Our hearing is unique. What we hear day to day is unique. Even the way our brains interpret sound, is unique. So getting the best out of your hearing requires a combination of state of the art technology and professional expertise to precisely tailor the sound to match your own unique ‘hearing signature’. By commissioning Signature, we hope to cut through the hearing aid marketing material with a simple message. Your
signature is your seal of approval and is unique to you. Our Signature hearing instrument carries our seal and is also unique. It allows us to design a hearing aid to perform with all the knowledge we have from years of fittings. The new instrument allows us to personalize the sound quality just for you, to make it as individual as your signature. Signature instruments also don’t whistle when you use the phone or when someone hugs you. They use mainly open-fitting technology so you hardly know they are there and can even be used with an additional range of wireless accessories to connect to your mobile phone, TV, stereo or computer. To find out if Signature is suitable for you, call or email us.
Tags: hearing aid batteries, hearing aids
Posted in Soundwaves Newsletter | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Practice News
The last two months have been very busy for us as it coincides with the European Hearing Aid Audiology Conference and our AIHHP Autumn Conference.
As a result of this many manufacturers launch their new products at this time and we have attended several training days to learn about the latest amazing technology now available to improve your hearing enjoyment.
The first of these was 7th September GN ReSound launching the new Alera model their first wireless Ear to Ear instrument with a number of unique features for the end user and dispenser. These include remote control, Wireless TV connection, and mobile phone link.
Next was the Hearbuy conference on 10th & 11th September. This is the central purchasing company set up to provide the independent dispenser with the best discounts when buying from any of our suppliers.
An excellent agenda and very well attended and included a stand for AIHHP to promote our philosophy to others in the profession.
On 30th September I attended an afternoon meeting organised by Avril Dring of CAMTAD (Campaign for acquired deafness) where we had a stand and gave a talk. This was attended by around 100 local hearing impaired people and opened by the lady Mayor. I had support from Unitron with their representative Nicola demonstrating the Smart Alert system.
On 8th & 9th October we had our Autumn AIHHP conference in Cobham Surrey where we held our 3rd awards ceremony now entitled “The Golden Lobes Awards”. Widex chose to use our conference to launch their new and exciting range of instruments “The Clear” range offering many significant new features to improve the listening advantage and comfort for all hearing losses
This was a great success with exceptional presenters and well attended again with a number of new executive members being welcomed.
21st October afternoon saw my wife’s graduation ceremony at Anglia Ruskin University.
And finally 22nd October we attended the UK Phonak launch of their new Spice range of instruments based on a completely new Chip set with many amazing new features to significantly improve hearing in noisy situations.
Suffering With Silence
Coronation Street star William Roache (Ken Barlow) recently revealed he has only 50% hearing left in both ears. He struggled untreated, refusing to wear hearing aids for many years, and suffered from social isolation and difficulties at work as a result. The Coronation Street actor reportedly said that vanity had stopped him from wearing hearing assitance until now.
If you find that you need to turn up the volume of your television or radio or often ask people to repeat what they are saying, you too may be experiencing hearing problems. With one in six people experiencing hearing difficulties, and this increasing to one in three people over the age of 60, hearing loss is a very common condition. It is estimated that there are over 4 million people in the UK who, like William Roache, have some form of hearing problem and simply suffer in silence.
However, recent technological advancements have transformed the way hearing difficulty can be treated, leading to huge improvements in a person’s everyday life. There are even Bluetooth-enabled and 2.4Ghz radio hearing systems, allowing the wearer to wirelessly listen directly to a TV, computer, personal music player and much more. Thanks to these technological advances, modern hearing instruments have become so small and discreet, often, you do not even notice someone is wearing anything at all – just like William Roache has now discovered after all these years.
Did You Know?
In 1883, when Krakatoa in Indonesia erupted, it was the loudest natural sound in recorded history and could be heard over 3100 miles away. It measured over 180 decibels at 100 miles from the volcano and was so loud at this distance, that you could not hear a person even if they shouted into your ear.
Take That Hear the World
Take That is helping to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss. Following the return of Robbie Williams, the hugely successful pop group are the latest names to support Hear the World, a global initiative launched by hearing system manufacturer Phonak, joining stars like Jude Law, Elle Macpherson, Annie Lennox, Sting and Peter Gabriel.
“Hearing is something that we rely on every day, even more so being musicians. To lend our support to this campaign is something we are really proud of and are grateful for a chance to play a part in raising awareness of the issue of hearing loss”, Robbie Williams says on behalf of the band.
Hear the World is now one of the world’s largest celebrity supported health campaign currently more than forty high-profile musicians, actors and models from across the globe helping raise awareness for a problem which affects over 800 million people worldwide.
More than 16 percent of the world’s population have hearing loss with experts predicting this will to increase to 1.1 billion by 2015. In the UK an estimated 8.5 million people are affected by the condition and struggle for up to 15 years before seeking advice. Studies have shown that this has a significantly negative effect on a person’s social, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Phonak set up the Hear the World foundation, a non-profit organisation that is committed to improve the quality of life and promote equal opportunities for people with hearing loss globally. To achieve this, the foundation provides financial funds, hearing aids and assistive listening technology. For more information visit www.hear-the-world.com.
New Invisible Hearing Aid
A new hearing instrument has just been launched which is a deeply inserted completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid that professes to be 100% invisible.
Unlike conventional Completely-in-Canal (CIC) hearing aids, this product is designed to fit beyond the second bend of the ear canal, claiming to make it totally invisible. It can be inserted and removed by the user and utilizes the latest multi-core digital signal processing. It also has a feedback eliminator, reputed to be the best feedback manager system available on the market today.
The device also has the functionality to be remotely programmed via a touch-tone mobile phone. It is a product that will be the most ideal solution to date for those with the highest priority for cosmetics.
Not everyone will have an ear-canal that is suitable for this device and strict criteria apply to ensure suitable candidates. To discuss this option more fully or simply find out if you are a suitable candidate, call us to arrange an appointment.
Hearing Loss by Degrees
The degree of hearing loss varies from person to person. Between the two extremes of hearing well and hearing nothing, there are many degrees of hearing impairment, but what does the degree of hearing loss mean?
The terms used to describe the level of loss and brief descriptions are:
Mild Hearing Loss – unable to hear soft sounds, difficulty perceiving soft speech and hearing in noisy environments.
Moderate Hearing Loss – unable to hear soft and moderate sounds, considerable difficulty in perceiving clear speech especially with background noise.
Severe Hearing Loss – A speaker must raise their voice, Group conversation is only possible with considerable effort.
Profound Hearing Loss – some very loud sounds are audible but communication without a hearing instrument is impossible.
The majority of hearing losses are classed as mild to moderate but regardless of degree of hearing loss, many people will state that, “my hearing is fine – I just don’t understand words as clearly as I used to.”
This is the first and most common sign of hearing loss.
Breakthrough Towards Hearing Loss Drug
Researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, have discovered a drug that repairs hearing after damage caused by loud noise.
Until now, exposure to loud noise has led to permanent hearing loss. However, the researchers have shown that if treated with a compound called ‘ADAC’ after noise damage, hearing recovered substantially.
The scientists found that a five day treatment of daily injections starting six hours after noise exposure were most effective. Single treatments were less effective but also resulted in some hearing recovery. The drug is thought to work by increasing the sensory hair cell’s ability to break down the damaging waste products, which build up during noise exposure.
This study presents the most effective pharmacological strategy to date for reducing noise-induced hearing loss after exposure to damaging noise. If clinical trials prove successful, this research could mean that, in future, people who are exposed to loud noise and risk damage could be administered a drug to stop the hearing loss
Hearing Aid Top Tip!
Don’t leave your hearing aids on a windowsill in a bathroom or kitchen – condensation will readily form on the instrument and may cause it to become faulty.
Moisture ingression can be a real problem for most hearing devices as the tiny microphones and receivers (loudspeakers) are susceptible to moisture ingression and not function correctly, if at all. In addition battery contacts can corrode causing intermittent or complete malfunction.
Always keep your hearing instruments in their case when not in use and regularly use a proprietary silica gel drying agent. We always have these available.
Tags: GN ReSound hearing aids, hearing aids Cambridge
Posted in Soundwaves Newsletter | Comments Off
You are currently browsing the archives for the Soundwaves Newsletter category.