We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy Davies to our audiology team. Wendy joins us from Sivantos, a leading manufacturer of innovative hearing aids where she held the position of National Sales & Audiology Manager. Selma Becker, MD of Help in Hearing welcomes Wendy to the team:
“We are thrilled that Wendy has joined us as an Audiologist and Ear Care Specialist. She has immense knowledge and industry experience, bringing a new dimension to our hearing care audiology team and the service we offer as our business continues to thrive.”
Wendy initially trained as an audiologist and worked in the NHS for 15 years before joining Siemens (later Sivantos) in 2000 where she was responsible for training and hearing aid supply to the NHS. In 2007, Wendy was appointed Head of Audiology, extending her reach to also include private clinics. After completing an MBA in 2012, Wendy also gained responsibility for sales. Over the years she has also worked with R&D in the deployment of new technologies that revolutionised hearing aid features and client benefits.
In her national audiology role Wendy became a regular and respected presenter on hearing aid technology at industry conferences worldwide. Her leadership role also included providing clinical support and technical education to the Falkland Islands and developing and implementing the new born hearing screening programme.
“My first love has always been audiology”, said Wendy, “the opportunity to work with Selma’s team at Help in Hearing has allowed me to get back to grass roots, directly working with and helping people. I know that Selma offers clients the very best in aftercare to ensure they are getting maximum benefit from their aids and I very much want to be a part of this.”
Wendy continued, “I find hearing aid technology extremely interesting – it has come such a long way since I started fitting hearing aids in 1985 and new functionalities and features are presented to us by all the manufacturers every year. This allows us to provide a great solution for everyone requiring support with their hearing based on their individual needs –there is no “one size fits all”. At Help in Hearing we have access to all the leading suppliers so we can find the right solution for all our clients.”
Make the month of March memorable and trial the latest hearing technology
Throughout March we are offering you the opportunity to personally trial the latest hearing aid technology.
Try the new hearing technology throughout March
At our Technology Days in November we unveiled a host of new hearing aid advances. In case you were unable to attend our events, or have not been able to visit us again since, we thought we would turn March into a memorable month when you can test out the options and, with our help, see what would suit you best.
Advice on the right hearing solution for you
The wealth of choice is almost overwhelming, so our role as independent hearing consultants is to help guide you to the most appropriate solution. Even the best technology needs the support and experience of a healthcare professional, to ensure the most successful outcome for your individual hearing needs. With our dedicated ongoing aftercare, we guarantee that whatever choice is made, it is the right one for you.
New hearing products available to try
Book now and you can choose from the new generation Marvel by Phonak which offers true hands-free calls, or the new-look slimline Styletto hearwear by Sivantos. Then there’s the new custom Oticon OPN aid that uses an app to monitor your health and the Starkey Livio device which has a foreign language translation facility, plus motion sensors to monitor falls.
Book your dedicated free trial appointment now
Book any time in March to trial this new aid technology in our Farnham Common or Marlow hearing clinics. Call our Freephone number to make an appointment: 0345 222 0579
We accept that hearing loss is something we may have to deal with as we get older. However, a growing number of young people are now reporting hearing loss to some degree. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.1 billion people aged between 12 and 35 are at risk of losing their hearing. Below are a few of the problems causing hearing loss in young people, and how we can prevent it.
Modern technology
With the rise of modern technology, including personal listening devices, stereo systems, and surround-sound cinema, young people today are being constantly exposed to loud noises. Prolonged exposure to loud music is known to cause tinnitus and even permanent hearing loss. To prevent damage, turn down the volume on your musical devices and consider wearing earplugs to live music events.
Alcohol
Studies have shown that alcohol may inhibit your middle ear’s acoustic reflex, which tells your muscles to contract in response to loud noise. The less sensitive your acoustic reflex, the more at risk you are of damaging your hearing. To prevent this, consider reducing your alcohol consumption when you know you will be exposed to loud noise, such as at a live music event.
Noise pollution
Young people are reigniting city centre living. Whilst this is having positive consequences for the vibrancy of our cities, noise pollution is also on the increase. From traffic and construction work to community events, city centre living is a hazard for young residents’ hearing. Even living next door to a noisy dog can put you at risk. To prevent hearing loss, plant bushes and trees around your home to block out noise. Wear earplugs at night to give your ears a reprieve. Alternatively, invest in soundproof insulation to keep the city noise outside.
Going forward
There are many things you can do to prevent hearing loss in young people in our noisy, modern world. Going forward, ensure you get regular hearing check-ups. Identifying a problem early on is vital to avoid permanent hearing loss.
If you do notice a decline in your hearing, consider seeking advice about hearing aids. Studies suggest that attitudes toward hearing aids are becoming more positive. Hearing aids are no longer associated with seniors or being slow. In fact, 60% of young people now say they “would not hesitate to use them, if needed” to solve their hearing problems for good.
Hearing loss in young people – where to find out more
If you’d like to find out more about how to protect your hearing, visit our Hearing Protection page.
At Help in Hearing we can advise on the most appropriate hearing protection from custom made solutions, in the ear monitors, electronic noise suppressors for those that shoot or a non-customised product, should you need something urgent for a one off event. We also supply customised swim moulds. If you’d like to book an appointment to discuss your hearing or have your hearing tested, please fill in our online form.
Call freephone 0345 222 0579 to book an appointment.
For the first week in April we are offering free hearing tests and ear health checks for any friends and family who book in with our new Audiologist, Wendy Davies. Wendy will also be at hand to discuss the new technology and accessories that are now available for anyone who would like to come in for an update.
Existing clients are encouraged to meet Wendy and book in for hearing aid servicing and cleaning, or for a check-up.
Meet our new Audiologist, Wendy Davies
Hearing aid cleaning and servicing
Free ear checks and hearing test
Technology updates
Accessory demonstrations to further enhance your hearing, including Bluetooth connectivity
Call freephone 0345 222 0579 to book an appointment.
In November we held two Help in Hearing organised Technology Days at the Harleyford Golf Club in Marlow and the South Bucks Golf Club in Stoke Poges. They were very well attended with a total of nearly 70 delegates in all. It was a rare opportunity to ask questions and have discussions directly with each of the leading hearing aid manufacturers. The main venue area was the focus for companies to exhibit all their ranges and accessories. In a separate room a representative from each of our hearing aid partners gave a talk on different aspects of the market and a glimpse into the future. Today we are showing an extract of the Oticon talk on the future of hearing aids and their app HearingFitness, which you can find below, along with a video Oticon showed on the day.
The future of hearing aids – by Oticon
We know that smartphones, computers and tablets connect to the internet, but did you know that some ordinary everyday devices – such as fridges, washing machines and doorbells connect to the internet too? This is an area of technology called “The internet of things (IoT)”. It’s one of the fastest growing areas of technology and it has been made more popular recently by systems like Hive and Nest that connect your home heating and lights to the internet.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Opn hearing aids are IoT devices too!
Opn hearing aids are IoT devices too! They work with a cloud-based service called “If This Then That” (IFTTT for short). IFTTT connects processes and services of all kinds of brands that wouldn’t normally work together. For example, IF you’re tagged in a photo on Facebook, THEN automatically save that photo to your DropBox account. How might that work with hearing aids, you ask.
In this example, a visitor presses your internet-connected doorbell. It sends a message to IFTTT, which sends the notification to the ON app on your iPhone. The ON app in turn sends a spoken message to the Opn hearing aids. “Someone is at the door” (or whatever message you like!).
Right now this service appeals most to people that love their technology. But people of all ages can benefit. For example, a young child or an adult with limited dexterity needs help changing their batteries. IFTTT can send a notification (text, email etc) to a parent, relative or neighbour when the batteries run low.
HearingFitness
HearingFitness builds on the general major change in the nature of health care – which is transforming from being reactive to preventive. New technologies can be expected to allow our current, largely reactive mode of medicine (where we wait until the patient is sick before responding) to be replaced over the next 10-20 years by a personalised, predictive, preventive, and participatory (P4) medicine. This P4 approach is the inspiration and vision behind HearingFitness.
Participatory:
Participation is key to HearingFitness – the foundation of the other Ps. Clients are given information so that they can better manage and are prepared to make their own decisions. We want to engage and encourage the users to be active partners and involved in their own healthcare.
Personalised:
We want to tailor hearing solutions/services to the client and their environment. Create hearing aids that could potentially adjust themselves not only to the user, but also to changes during the day (e.g. more tired in the afternoon), during the week (such as different needs during the week when at work versus during the weekend), and also over time (for example, if hearing deteriorates). We want to provide personalised support based on the specific user’s hearing aid, preferences, etc. This personalisation reaches its full potential when combined with user participation (which is the foundation). We can then use the information from HearingFitness to better understand behavioural patterns, the contexts in which the hearing aids are most used and how/where do people struggle – all these things are important in order to be able to personalise.
Prediction:
Oticon HearingFitness app collects data to predict future needs of hearing aid users
We will know in advance, through big data, what is best for every hearing aid user. 360 million people worldwide with a hearing loss – imagine the potential data sets. Users are profiled into subgroups that share common features. For example, we will know through monitoring when a user is having trouble hearing and the hearing aids provide extra help.
Prevention:
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We take a life course approach, with early detection and monitoring over time of hearing and health status. Through combining multiple datasets and applying advanced analytics, it is possible to build profile-specific prevention strategies. For example, the hearing aid user could receive an alert if they are exposed to loud noises that could result in further hearing loss. Thereby the HearingFitness technology can help people to remain healthy late in life.
References:
Hood, L. & Galas, D. (2008). P4 Medicine: Personalized, Predictive, Preventive, Participatory: A Change of View that Changes Everything: A white paper prepared for the Computing Community Consortium committee of the Computing Research Association.
How HearingFitness works
HearingFitness is a feature in the ON app for smartphones. When a pair of Oticon hearing aids is connected to the app, it gathers data about how the hearing aids are being used and the type of sound environments the person is spending time in.
HearingFitness will combine this information with data from the Health App on the smartphone. The specific data taken will depend on the user’s permission during installation.
Generally, the Health App stores data from apps on the iPhone and Apple Watch. It also works directly with some health and fitness devices. Other devices and data sources (such as HearingFitness) must have a companion app that can access the data and save it to Health App for them.
Initial release of HearingFitness
In the initial release, which came out about 2 months ago, the functionality will appear somewhat simple. But as we gather more data we will introduce more and more useful functions, such as making adjustments to the hearing aids according to the user’s preferences, and notifications with suggestions for taking better control of your health.
When the installation is done, you will be presented with a welcome screen introducing HearingFitness. After pressing ‘Continue’, HearingFitness will open. The first version of HearingFitness will look approximately as shown here. You will be able to see how much the hearing aids are used overall (in hours) as well as how much individual programs are used.
An example of how the first version of the Oticon Hearing Fitness ON app will look
In the upper right corner of the screen, you will be able to set a goal for the hearing aid usage. This goal could potentially be set together with your audiologist at the fitting appointment. In the left corner, you will see if the goal is reached – measured in percent. You will then be able to track usage for the specific day, week or month.
Hearing care is health care
We know from research that ”hearing care is health care.” It is well-documented that hearing well highly influences how healthy we are. With HearingFitness, Oticon aims to involve people in their own hearing care. We want to help them to make smart decisions about their hearing health and get the most out of their hearing potential with the ultimate goal of improving their overall health.*
Watch video: Hearing care is health care
HearingFitness – where to find out more
At Help in Hearing we understand that caring for your hearing health is just as important as caring for the rest of your overall health and wellbeing. By looking after all aspects of your hearing, ear care and hearing protection, we make sure you remain socially active, stay confident in your working environment and ascertain your continuing enjoyment of your hearing health. With our personal and friendly approach we provide personalised hearing care plans offering a continuity of service which is second to none.
Please get in touch to make an appointment for a hearing check-up or to discuss your hearing concerns.
We are delighted to announce that we raised £450 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People at our Quiz Night last week. Held at the South Buckinghamshire Golf Club, the event was great fun and very popular, with eight teams competing for the luxury prize of a Fortnum & Mason hamper.
We kicked off with an interesting talk by Mike & Clare Coote, dedicated volunteers for the charity, who gave us an insight into the commitment of taking on a puppy and the training guidelines that go with it. Their delightful Hearing Dog puppies Cooper and Hedley, pictured below, also attended the event.
(Left to Right): Clare & Mike Coote, SelmaHearing dog puppies, Cooper & Hedley
The charity provides the invaluable gift of independence, confidence and companionship to more and more deaf people. Hearing Dogs receives no government funding and relies on the generosity of members of the public, trusts and companies to continue its important work.
The winning team, “The Old Crocks”, won the Fortnum & Mason hamper, donated by Signia Hearing Aids. We look forward to seeing them bid for the champion title once again at our next Quiz Night in the Spring. Look out for further details.
Today we came across the Ambient Sounds Spotify playlist put together by the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), and we think you could find it helpful.
A popular way to tackle intrusive tinnitus is to give the brain something else to focus on which draws your attention away from the tinnitus sound but doesn’t have to constantly and actively stimulate the brain like talk radio or music does. The playlist has 31 tracks, playing a mix of ambient sounds for you to try. With track titles such as River and Rain in the Forest, Whispering Winds over the Pines and Small Waves Hitting Beach, there may be something there that could help alleviate your tinnitus sounds.
Tinnitus Spotify playlist – how to play it
The BTA recommend that you play the tracks at a volume just below the level of your tinnitus. You’re not trying to drown out the tinnitus – this way your brain will be actively choosing to listen to the music and push your tinnitus into the background.
Just click on this link or the button below to go directly to the Spotify playlist. If you already have a Spotify account, it will ask you to log in first and then you will see the playlist. If you don’t have a Spotify playlist, it will prompt you to sign up.
We’d love to hear your feedback on the playlist, so please feel free to give us your comments below.
Tinnitus – more information
Did you know we hold a regular Tinnitus Support Group for people living in the Marlow or Farnham Common areas of Buckinghamshire? Visit our Tinnitus Support Group page to see details of the next event near you.
You can also visit our Tinnitus Explained page to find out more about tinnitus.
And you can also visit our Tinnitus Management page to learn some of the methods we can use to help with your tinnitus symptoms.
Finally, if you’d like to book an appointment for a tinnitus hearing check or talk to us about tinnitus, please get in touch.
Our hearing is incredibly important, from listening to your favourite song to hearing your loved one’s voice on the phone, it’s part of our lives. But unlike the dentist or the optician, many people don’t think to get their hearing checked until they notice a problem. At Help in Hearing, we believe that your hearing should be looked after as well as any other part of you. So when should you get your hearing checked?
Age
As we get older our hearing can start to get poorer but with regular checks and proper attention, it’s important to keep an eye on it. If you’re aged under 45 then a hearing check at least once every two years can be a great start to looking after your hearing proactively. If you’re over 60 then it’s worth having hearing checks more regularly, and our hearing specialists can advise you on how often is best for you to visit based on the results of your hearing check.
Exposure to noise
If you’re a professional working in a loud environment then it may be worth getting your hearing checked more regularly to make sure your hearing hasn’t been affected. Working in areas like live music, performance, construction and many others can leave you more at risk of hearing loss. Our expert audiologists can offer you a full consultation and understand the risks to hearing you have encountered. They may be able to suggest measures to protect your hearing in the future and will do a full hearing test to get a picture of how your hearing has been affected.
You’re noticing hearing loss
It’s always better to look after your hearing proactively but if you’ve been noticing issues with your hearing then it’s best to see an audiologist as soon as possible. If you’ve been having the television or the radio turned up so you can hear it and others think it’s loud, that might be a sign of hearing loss. If you sometimes miss words in conversations or you struggle hearing on the telephone, then this is another sign that you should get your hearing checked.
When should you get your hearing checked?
At Help in Hearing, we are dedicated to providing the very best hearing advice for you. If you think it’s time for you to have a hearing check-up, contact us to book now.
Aside from the odd infection and build-up of ear wax, it’s easy to view our ears as fairly simple organs. Though many people don’t realise it, other parts of your body can have a direct impact on the state of your ears. Here are three seemingly unrelated issues that are among the causes of hearing loss.
Smoking
No surprise here. If you’re a smoker, you regularly hear how bad it is for you from friends, family, doctors and even cigarette packets. Though the most glaring symptoms are in your respiratory and cardiovascular systems, smoking can also contribute to hearing loss.
The harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke are detrimental to your inner ear’s ability to transmit vibrations to your brain, and the more you smoke, the more damage you’ll cause to your ear. Though you’ve probably heard this a million times before, second-hand smoke will have the exact same effects on those around you.
Overeating and under-exercising
Being overweight places you at risk of many different problems, from circulatory trouble to diabetes to heart problems. Though many aren’t aware of it, all of these health issues have been linked to hearing loss. One 2013 study from the US Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women with higher body mass indexes were 17% more likely to experience some form of hearing loss.
The study also established that non-strenuous physical activity, such as walking for at least two hours per week, lowered the risk of weight-related hearing loss. Of course, this is just one way body weight affects your health – it’s never too late to establish some healthier habits!
Not having regular dental check-ups
Perhaps the most surprising habit that can lead to hearing loss is taking a blasé approach to your dental health. When you don’t keep an eye on your pearly whites, it can allow harmful bacteria to get into the bloodstream, clogging and constricting the arteries that carry blood to the brain. This can cause interference in the way your brain receives signals from your auditory nerve. Poor oral health can also increase your risk of heart problems, diabetes and stroke, which have all been linked with hearing loss.
Causes of hearing loss – where to find out more
If you’d like to know more about how to protect your hearing, or if you’d like to have a hearing check-up, please contactus.
Our latest Tinnitus Support Group meeting at Marlow’s Liston Hall on March 19th was a huge success. The advertising for the event created such an unprecedented amount of interest, we ended up having to turn people away!
Mr Chris Aldren, the local ENT Consultant, gave a talk titled “Why do we have Tinnitus?” covering aspects of the ear anatomy with a detailed presentation that gave the audience a clearer understanding of the causes of Tinnitus and the various treatment methods. Gilly Wright, the Support Group facilitator, commented: “The maximum attendance figures show how much interest there is in Tinnitus. I am very grateful to Mr Aldren for finding the time to talk to us and so delighted that the Marlow group is taking off like this.”
Next meeting: 10.30 am Saturday April 7th, Liston Hall – an Introduction to Tai Chi (limited spaces available).
“My first love has always been audiology”, said Wendy, “the opportunity to work with Selma’s team at Help in Hearing has allowed me to get back to grass roots, directly working with and helping people. I know that Selma offers clients the very best in aftercare to ensure they are getting maximum benefit from their aids and I very much want to be a part of this.”
Advice on the right hearing solution for you
