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Spring 2018

Selma Becker

Selma Becker, Managing Director and Senior Hearing Aid Audiologist

Welcome to our new online newsletter

The snow has melted, the clocks have changed, Spring is here and Summer is around the corner. Welcome to our new electronic version Spring Newsletter, packed full with news and events. We love hearing from you so don’t forget to send in any of your hearing stories and follow us on social media. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook.

We are delighted to launch our electronic newsletter format, making it available on your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

We have lots of articles on news, events, advice and industry news, which you can access by clicking the tabs above. Click through the tabs to view all our articles and scroll up and down each page to read the articles that are there.

Newsletter article tabs

The above is an example of the menu buttons at the top of this page.

Click on one of the tabs now to see our latest news. Then click on another of the tabs to see other pages in the newsletter. We hope you enjoy it!

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Launch Competition

To launch the Help in Hearing Online Newsletter we’re running a competition for all readers to win a Harmon-Kardon SoundSticks III, 2.1-channel multimedia sound system. It’s simple to enter just complete your contact details in the form below and we’ll enter you into the draw. The draw will be held at the end of April and a winner selected at random. The winner’s details will be published in the next newsletter.

 

 

Competition is now closed.

View winner details here

 

 

In this issue

I don’t know about you, but I always learn something new when I go to an event about hearing. We have several events coming up at our clinics over the next couple of months, including an opportunity to trial the latest Phonak Naida B hearing aids, a Unitron open day in May to coincide with Deaf Awareness Week, and a quiz night to raise funds for the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity. And of course we continue with our regular Tinnitus Support Group meetings, the latest of which was so successful, we ended up having to turn people away! Read about all these events on the Events Page of this newsletter.

We’re also excited to be introducing a new hearing care scheme, Hearingplan, which will give you many benefits including personalised care, better value products, and free or significantly reduced repairs and replacement parts. See our Hearingplan article for more details. Learn more about this on our News Page.

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss is a serious medical emergency and you can read more about this on our Advice Page, as well as how Kevin recently made an urgent referral of a patient to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, which potentially will save the patient’s hearing.

If you’ve been to one of our clinics recently, you may have been asked to provide some feedback for us and we’ve collected together some of the feedback received so you can read what our patients are saying about us. And if you have any feedback for us, we’d be delighted to receive it. Just visit our Feedback Page.

We all know our hearing is precious and we also give some advice in this issue about how to protect your hearing, whether that’s in the workplace or in your home life. You can find this on our Advice Page.

And finally we are pleased to tell you about a new product from Unitron, the Moxi All, a rechargeable hearing aid which uses the latest technology to connect to your mobile phone and your TV. You can find out more on our New Products Page and trial these new hearing aids at our Unitron open days or by making an appointment with us.

We hope you enjoy the new online newsletter. Please send us any feedback or requests you may have so we can ensure we’re providing the information you’d like to receive.

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Unitron Open Days May 15 & 16
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Kevin Jeffery, Principal Hearing Audiologist

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss may mean an urgent referral

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Last month we ran a feature on the importance of responding immediately to Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. In March we saw two cases which led to urgent referrals. Sudden Hearing Loss is a medical emergency and although steroid treatment is usually successful, acting quickly is crucial. Peter, one of our Marlow referrals said:

“My very grateful thanks to Kevin at Help in Hearing. I suddenly lost hearing in my left ear and contacted Marlow Help in Hearing for an urgent test and was given an appointment the very next day. Following a thorough examination, Kevin urgently referred me to a Consultant at the Princess Margaret Hospital as he had detected a major hearing loss in my left ear. I was lucky enough to be seen the following day, thanks to Kevin’s urgent referral.

“I was instructed to undergo a full brain MRI scan and prescribed a five-day course of steroids as Kevin and the Consultant agreed that it appeared that the blood was not circulating to my inner ear. The Consultant informed me there was a good chance that my hearing loss might be reversed thanks to Kevin’s quick action. Had this been left any longer I could have lost my hearing permanently. I am so thankful to Kevin for the early detection, accurate diagnosis and speedy referral which has undoubtedly gone a long way to potentially saving my hearing.”

Hearingplan

Hearingplan – the very best hearing care at an affordable price

New hearing care plan now available

We are excited to introduce a new hearing care scheme, Hearingplan, to our practices. This new service will launch on May 1st and has been specially designed to offer you the very best hearing care at an affordable price.

When you join Hearingplan, you will receive personalised care from our specialist audiologists, including all your scheduled appointments and any emergency appointments.

As a scheme member we can also offer you better value products or additional services so that whatever your budget, you will get more for your money. In addition, your repairs or replacement parts are free or significantly reduced in price.

Hearingplan benefits

How does it work?

Hearingplan is a membership programme that spreads the cost of your hearing care.

To join Hearingplan, you will be asked to register for the scheme and a Direct Debit arrangement will be set up. Your payments are then protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. It’s as simple as that.

As a member we are also able to offer preferential pricing on new technology if you choose to upgrade your hearing aids, as well as offers on sundry items.

How much does it cost?

Hearing Care PlanYour monthly Hearingplan fee is set by your audiologist and will depend on the treatment package and your individual needs. Ask your audiologist for your fees and consider the benefits – it will be cheaper than you think!

“As independent hearing care specialists, we are always looking at ways we can improve our service and offer the very best care to our patients,” comments Selma. “We are delighted to be able to offer Hearingplan in our practices, which we believe will make hearing care more affordable and accessible. Ask us about Hearingplan today.”

Hearingplan is provided by your own audiologist and payments are managed by SafeDebit Ltd.

In Other News

Selma at the Alzheimer Cafe in Windsor

Talking to the community

Selma presented at the Alzheimer’s Café in Windsor on why hearing health is so important. She also presented a cheque to ADS for £150, the money raised from our website re-launch competition to win Aftershokz headphones.

Kevin Jeffery

Talking to the community

Kevin gave a presentation on “Why do we have Hearing Loss?” firstly to representatives from 8 Lions Clubs in the area at the Royal British Legion in Burnham; and then to Bucks Older Peoples Action Group in High Wycombe, which has 400 members. The key message was the importance of hearing checks and following the talk this was referred to in a feature on the local radio station Marlow FM.

Julia Freeman

Competition winner

We recently ran a competition to win a set of Aftershokz Trekz Titanium bone conductor headphones. Our lucky prize winner was the delighted Julia Freeman, who has been a client for over 3 years and wears Phonak Audeo aids.

Alfie the Bichon

Alfie's antics

Alfie the Bichon (Gilly’s dog) has become best buddies with Kevin. Some clients have already seen how much he pines when Kevin is in Marlow! Look out for a special Kevin & Alfie video in our next edition… Alfie is now 10 years old, seen here wearing his birthday bandana to work.

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Unitron Open Days May 15 & 16
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Hearing dogs talk and quiz night

Help raise funds for charity at our Quiz Night

You are invited to our Help in Hearing Quiz Night - May 15th

Action on Hearing Loss are promoting Deaf Awareness Week 15th – 21st May to raise awareness that over 11 million people in the UK (1 in 6) are deaf or have hearing loss. Did you know that of this number only 2 million wear hearing aids? What’s more, on average it takes ten years for people to address their hearing loss.

To support the Deaf Awareness campaign we are holding a charity Fish & Chips Quiz Night on Tuesday May 15th at The Emperor Bar & Restaurant in Farnham Common.

All money raised from the event will go to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Tickets are £10 for fish and chips, or Haloumi as the veggie option. Drinks available at the bar. Doors open 7:00pm. Quiz starts at 7:30pm, food served at 8:30pm, quiz ends at 10:00pm.

We promise that the questions won’t be too hard – it will be a very relaxed evening and we hope you will join us. Teams can be 4-6 people but if you would like 1 or 2 tickets and wish to join another team, we would be happy to arrange that for you. Anyone who would like tickets please email Gilly or call 0345 222 0579

Phonak Naida B Open Day

Phonak Naida B: when dedicated power hearing technology brings you closer, life is on

Marlow Open Day - Thursday April 26th

One of the leading hearing aid brands, Phonak, are launching a new power aid, Naida B, for profound and severe hearing loss. We look forward to demonstrating the advantages of this new aid at our next Open Day.

  • More audibility of high-pitched sounds, while maintaining the sound quality of low-pitched sounds
  • Improved speech understanding and reduced listening effort in background noise
  • By combining the Naida B aids with Roger microphone technology, hearing is enhanced in noise nearby and over distance
  • New easy-to-use rechargeable model

Book an appointment

Take a free two-week trial of the new Phonak Power Aid

See Kevin in Marlow.

Call 0345 222 0579 to book your place

Tinnitus Support Group

If you’re affected by Tinnitus, come along to our regular Tinnitus Support Group events

Tinnitus Support Group Events

Following the successful launch of the Tinnitus Support group we now have a schedule of events. If anyone is interested in attending, or has friends who would like to join, please contact us to let us know.

Saturday April 7th 10.30am – Midday

Tai-chi Demonstration (limited spaces available)

The Thames Room, Liston Hall, Chapel Street, Marlow SL7 1DD

A Tai Chi style taster session with Karen Pounds. Karen combines a knowledge of Mindfulness, Tai Chi (which is sometimes called Moving Meditation), Qigong and Hypnotherapy to create her own unique style of mindfulness meditation.

Saturday May 5th 10.30am – Midday

Lipreading Demonstration

Help in Hearing, Cedar House, Glade Road, Marlow SL7 1DQ

A Lipreading taster session with Judy Perry, a qualified lipreading teacher who runs classes in Buckinghamshire.

Wednesday June 6th 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Can Hypnotherapy help Tinnitus?

Help in Hearing, Cedar House, Glade Road, Marlow SL7 1DQ

Bret Freeman, a master hypnotherapist who has helped people all over the world demonstrates how hypnotherapy works.

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Unitron Open Days May 15 & 16
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Selma Becker

What our patients say about us

Read some recent feedback and reviews we’ve received from our patients. We’d love to hear your feedback too, so please email us if you’d like to provide feedback or a testimonial about our service.

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

I can't recommend Help in Hearing strongly enough

“Very knowledgeable and friendly staff! I can’t recommend Help in Hearing strongly enough. They have not only helped me with clearing my ears but have also provided me with a custom presenter’s earpiece. Every time I visit, I am immediately put at ease and every step of every procedure is thoroughly explained and then expertly performed.” Brett Freeman

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

I always receive excellent service

“Excellent service from Selma Becker.” Robert Keating

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

Fantastic service

“Selma Becker was marvellous and so helpful.” Richard Nevill

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

Staff very friendly

“Helpful and informative.” Jeff Stagg

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

Very helpful & professional service

“A special thank you to Kevin in Marlow.” Helen Strube

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

The level of personal service and support is outstanding

“The level of personal service and support is outstanding and given by experts. I never feel rushed. My comment refers to Kevin who has given me outstanding service. I cannot praise him enough.” Ron Woods

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

Friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff

“Friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff.” Jane Ring

GroHawk 10/10 review for Help in Hearing

Considerate - very helpful and knowledgeable - a delight!

“Selma a delight!” Humphrey Carmichael

How to look after your hearing

Some tips for protecting your hearing at home and in the workplace

How to protect your hearing

Music and portable devices are often a key cause as to why many people suffer from hearing loss. If you can’t hear external sounds then it is too loud. Indeed, you may have seen a recent BBC News story about a viola player who sued the Royal Opera House for ruining his hearing and won a landmark case. He suffered acoustic shock in the famous orchestra pit as the noise levels exceeded 130 decibels, roughly equivalent to that of a jet engine. Sadly his hearing was irreversibly damaged. Read the full story

The louder the noise and the longer your ears are exposed to it, the greater the risk of causing damage to your hearing. A live concert is of course an event to be aware of but even the levels at the theatre and cinema can be excessive nowadays. Did you know that you can even damage your hearing while mowing a lawn!

Loud noises can sometimes be unavoidable, but our tip is to limit your exposure. If you can’t avoid it, give your ears a break by walking away from the loud noise for 10 minutes. Or, even better, keep a pair of ear plugs with you and wear them.

Protect your ears in the workplace

By law your employer is bound to protect your hearing in the workplace. So even if you’re not in a traditionally noisy environment but are exposed to noise that you are concerned about, do talk to your manager or human resources department for advice on reducing the noise and getting hearing protection.

Noisy equipment such as power tools and heavy machinery can be dangerous to your hearing if exposed for long periods of time, such a shifts or long working hours. If you work in noise levels above 85 Db you should be issued with ear protectors. There are many different options available from standard ear plugs to custom fit hearing protection, we can give you advice on what would work best for you.

Leading a healthy lifestyle

Making certain healthy lifestyle choices can help to protect your hearing and ward off hearing loss for years to come. Get plenty of exercise. Cardio exercise like walking, running or cycling helps to improve blood flow to your ears, which is good for your hearing.

It’s even better if you can do your exercise somewhere nice and quiet, like the woods or a secluded beach, as this also gives your ears a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

The Importance of Routine Hearing Tests

You may have your teeth and eyes checked regularly, but what about your ears?

Even if you don’t think your hearing is impaired it is important to look after your ears and your hearing and organise a hearing test or regular check up with Selma or Kevin.

Unitron logo
Unitron hearing aids

With the right hearing solution, you can feel more confident and connected all day, every day.

“Martin takes an early call from a friend on his way out the door. His hearing aids connect wirelessly to his mobile phone to keep the conversation flowing hands-free while he drives into the office. It’s another packed day of meetings, followed by a family dinner at the city’s busiest restaurant. Martin’s lifestyle demands that he needs a hearing solution that keeps him in the conversation all day long, with easy switching from mobile calls to in-person chats. That’s why Martin wears Moxi™ All, the hearing aid with ultimate versatility to keep you engaged in all of life’s conversations.”

Unitron Hearing AidsHands-free flexibility

Clearly hear what the caller is saying directly in your ear with hands-free mobile phone calls through your Moxi All hearing aids. When you talk, your voice is picked up by the hearing aid and sent to the mobile phone, so there’s no need to hold it.

Designed to be easy

Speech is easier to understand and everything sounds just the way it should, thanks to advanced performance features. You get your best conversations in person and on your mobile phone, all wrapped in a comfortable hearing solution that’s easy to use.

Relax and enjoy TV

You can easily tune into your favourite programs by wirelessly connecting your hearing aids to your TV using a simple accessory.

Charge-and-go freedom

Experience the freedom of rechargeable hearing aids with Moxi All. An easy overnight charge is all you need to enjoy conversations all day.

Unitron hearing aids – where to find out more

You can get the chance to see this new hearing technology and have a free trial at our Unitron open days on 15th May in Farnham Common and 16th May in Marlow. If you’d like to come along to meet Selma, Kevin and an expert from Unitron, please get in touch by email or give us a call on 0345 222 0579 to book your place.

 

Unitron Moxi Hearing Aids

*Smartphones and traditional mobile phones with a compatible Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile

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Unitron Open Days May 15 & 16
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Get in touch

If you’d like to know more about any of the stories or events in this newsletter, or if you have a story you think might be of interest to our readers, please click the button below to send us an email.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The entry period is 6am on 1st April 2018 to midnight on 30th April 2018. The winner will be drawn at random within 7 days of the closing date. The prize winner will be notified by an email and/or a phone call from HELP IN HEARING and will be contacted within 7 days of the draw. Full terms and conditions can be downloaded here.

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