Air Travel and Ear Pain

With the summer holiday season fast approaching, more and more of us will be jetting off to far flung destinations around the world. Whilst traveling by plane many of us will experience issues with our ears due to pressure.  In rare cases these problems can lead to severe pain and hearing loss, so it is best to take precautions, before, during and after a flight. 

As an Audiologist, I thought it would be good to explain what happens to our ears when we fly…

It really comes down to air pressure. Normally the air pressure inside the inner ear and the air pressure outside are essentially the same, or at least not different enough to cause any trouble. Even if you were to hike to the top of a tall mountain, the slow speed of your ascent would allow time for the pressure to equalise along the way. A problem only occurs when the change in altitude is so rapid that the pressure inside the inner ear and the air pressure outside don’t have time to equalise, as occurs in air travel. 

When your flight takes off, and begins its ascent, the air pressure inside the inner ear quickly surpasses that of the pressure outside. The eardrum swells outward. Picture a loaf of bread baking, and you get the idea. Conversely if air pressure inside the inner ear rapidly becomes less than the air pressure outside, the tympanic membrane (the eardrum) will be sucked inward, almost like a vacuum effect. What has happened is that the Eustachian tube (which links our ears with our throat) has flattened and needs a bit of extra help from you in order to continue to do its job of bringing air into the inner ear. Whether ascending or descending, that stretching not only causes the eardrum not to vibrate (thus the muffled sounds) but also causes the pain you feel. 

Everyone who has flown in a plane has felt the effects of a change in altitude on ears; a feeling of fullness and popping is commonplace. You need to equalise the pressure by introducing as much air as possible via the Eustachian tube and there are a number of ways to do that. 

The easiest way to equalise the pressure is to swallow. When you swallow, that clicking or popping sound you may hear is actually a tiny bubble of air that has moved from the back of the nose into the middle ear, via the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube ensures that the air in the middle ear is constantly being re-supplied. That air is then absorbed into the membranes of the inner ear, and the cycle starts over again. This constant cycle of air ensures that the air pressure on both sides stays equal. When you fly, the trick is to ensure that the Eustachian tubes work overtime and open more frequently to accommodate the change in air pressure. 

Chewing gum or sucking on a hard boiled sweet will help; for infants, whose Eustachian tubes are much narrower than an adult’s, the change in air pressure can be even more excruciating, so a bottle or dummy is recommended to increase swallowing. 

Other ways of equalising the pressure include:

• Avoid sleeping during ascent or descent
• Drink lots of fluids in-flight to stay hydrated
• Yawn
• EarPlanes: Specially designed ear plugs that have a filter to equalise pressure
• Nasal spray: Take only when needed as overuse of nasal sprays can end up causing more congestion

Karen Finch is the Managing Director and lead audiologist at The Hearing Care Centre.
The multi-award winning, family-run company has 20 centres across Suffolk and Norfolk.
For more information visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk or call 01473 230330.

FREE BEER!* By HCC patient, Geoffrey Holdcroft

"Right now that I've got your attention, I want to discuss men and hearing loss.

Ask any medical professional and they will tell you that we men are very bad at seeking help when it comes to health issues. Hearing loss is just such an issue. Hearing loss is a problem which will creep up on you. Whereas the ladies will deal with the issue when they know they have a problem us men just ignore the problem and put off dealing with it. How do I know this? Well, I've lost count of the number of ladies who tell me their male partner has a hearing problem and refuses to deal with it!

Why does it matter, I hear you ask? The posh term the professionals use is “auditory deprivation”. Eh?? In a nutshell the mechanism of hearing is a complex system involving the ears and the brain. If you fail to deal with a hearing problem when you or your family notice you have a problem, the system gets into a vicious circle and you lose the ability to hear. Having a hearing test and getting the right aids for you will prevent the system “forgetting” how to hear and becoming a degenerative downward spiral. Modern hearing aids are a wonder of miniature high tech engineering. I wear hearing aids myself and I can tell you that the aids themselves and the connecting wires are so small, nobody notices them.

My own experience is quite interesting. I suspected I had a hearing problem so I went for a hearing test at HCC. Quite properly I was told, yes I did have hearing loss but I wasn't in need of aids immediately. I decided to go ahead anyway because I had come across an article giving pointers that socially I did need aids. For me the ones that resonated were:

1. Do people appear to be mumbling?       

 Yes especially female check-out assistants.

2. Do you find it difficult to hear when a lot of other people are talking?

Yes our family gatherings are nothing short of riotous!

3. Do you get a very bad headache after attending an event as described above?

Yes this is the killer reason I decided to get hearing aids. I was getting really bad headaches when I had been straining to hear in difficult conditions.

There are lot of other pointers which might apply to you. For example: Do you say pardon a lot? Does your family complain that you have the TV or radio far too loud? Everyone is an individual and there are lots of other pointers.

*Sorry, I'm not giving away free beer I lied - but I do urge anyone, especially the men amongst us to book a hearing test if you suspect you have a problem."

Geoffrey

The Emotional Stages of Hearing Loss

Experiencing a myriad of emotions from denial, sadness and fear to eventually acceptance, is normal and a natural part of the emotional stages of hearing loss.

Here are the stages that one with hearing loss goes through, as I see it...

STAGE ONE | DENIAL

When normal hearing begins to decline, a natural reaction is for the person to compensate by trying to alter their environment to suit their loss. They may turn up the volume on the TV or radio disregarding complaints from their family members. They may ask their partners to answer the phone thereby avoiding the embarrassment of not being able to understand whoever is on the other end. They may blame others instead of acknowledging their hearing loss  i.e. “If people didn’t mumble, I would be able to hear them!”

STAGE TWO | WITHDRAWL

Hearing loss causes a person psychological hurt and grief. Over time, it also causes intolerance to social interactions, and reduced stimulation to the auditory system can result in a rapid decline of speech recognition. A way to deal with this is to avoid embarrassing situations, such as social occasions where there are likely to be lots of people or background noise.

STAGE THREE | ANGER

A hearing loss left untreated can cause the person suffering to become bad-tempered and the family may say he/she has become difficult to live with.

The person becomes less tolerant of others because of the frustrations and comments focused upon them.

STAGE FOUR | DEPRESSION

All these factors can eventually lead to the person becoming depressed. Low self-esteem, the loss of social interaction, suspicion of others, the inability to do easily what used to be problem free, isolation and loneliness become a part of daily life that wears the person down. It’s really tiring!

STAGE FIVE | ACCEPTANCE

When a person finally reaches this stage, they can then make the transition to seeking treatment with hearing aids, and auditory rehabilitation. A visit to a qualified audiologist will be the first stage on the road to hearing well again and ‘getting their life back’. A thorough test will be performed and hearing instruments prescribed where suitable. It can take up to ten years for someone to reach this stage.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Which stage are you or your loved one at? How long did the process take you? Please let me know your experiences by posting in the comments box below.

For more information on hearing loss please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk

Hear better than ever with Siemens binax hearing aids

Siemens is lifting binaural hearing systems to a new level. For the first time, hearing-impaired individuals can now hear better than those with normal hearing in particularly demanding listening situations*.

Despite their enormous computing power, the new Binax instruments are the most energy-efficient in their class.

Binax exchanges audio signals. Each binaural hearing aid can assess the acoustic environment not only on its own side, but also on the other. In the process, four microphones – two in each device – form a virtual eight-microphone network. New calculation methods work much like the human brain in leveraging the fact that voice signals don't reach both ears at the same speed or volume. Based on such differences, wearers can more accurately identify and focus on the sources of sound.

Binaural hearing aids also use this new technology in windy locations ideal for those golfers and outdoor patients. They automatically determine which side is receiving better signals and replicate them for the other device. These latest Siemens binaural hearing aids are capable of transmitting around a thousand times as much data per second as preceding models.

The new peak performance does not come at the expense of battery life and they can run on conventional hearing instrument batteries or, depending on the model, on rechargeable batteries.

Karen's comments: “We have had amazing success with the last Siemens technology platform called Micon and this new level is so exciting. My team and I can't wait to get started and see how this technology performs and improves peoples lives.”

If you would like to be amongst the first trialling these new instruments, please give our customer care team a call and book your appointment - Freephone 0800 096 2637.

FACT: These latest Siemens binaural hearing aids are capable of transmitting around a thousand times as much data per second as preceding models.

*Two clinical studies have shown that binax provides better than normal hearing in certain demanding environments (Northern Colorado University, 2014; Oldenburg Hörzentrum, 2013): Speech Reception Thresholds in cocktail-party situations improved up to 2.9dB for wearers with mild to moderate hearing loss using Carat binax or Pure binax hearing instruments with narrow directionality, compared to people with normal hearing.

It's important to accompany a loved one to their hearing test

Having to live with an untreated hearing loss can be very difficult and a lonely experience. On top of finding it hard to listen and communicate, those who are hearing impaired often have to deal with increasingly frustrated family members and friends who are tired of repeating themselves. Personal relationships are adversely affected by hearing loss. Hearing impaired couples are hardest hit, but relations with friends, family and colleagues suffer, as well.

A British study among 1,500 individuals, aged 55 years and older, with hearing loss seemed to confirm that the presence of hearing loss is likely to cause marital strain. Almost one in two said that relationships with their partner, friends or family had suffered because they could not hear properly. A third had lost touch with friends, and in some cases marriages fell apart as a direct result of a breakdown in communication.
If you have a loved one hearing loss, it is important for you to be positive, supportive and committed to helping them improve their hearing.

One simple way you can support a family member who has hearing difficulties is accompanying them to their hearing test (instead of just losing your patience and badgering them to book one!) Here are four reasons why it is better to tackle the first hearing appointment as a team.

1. Solidarity and comfort
Most hearing evaluations last around 60 minutes or longer. Although there is nothing painful about having the hearing test carried out, it can still be a nerve-wracking experience – especially anticipating the results. Having a loved one there can ease anxiety and help the person with hearing loss feel less alone.

2. Better understanding of the results
It can often be confusing to understand the results of medical tests and their implications – especially when you can’t hear well or have other things on your mind. That’s why it’s nice to have a trusted friend or family member along who can take notes and ask appropriate questions while the audiologist interprets the findings.

3. Another view point
It’s not uncommon for family members to notice hearing loss in a loved one before they notice it themselves. It is very possible that a person with untreated hearing loss does not even realise how much they are missing. Bringing a family member to the initial hearing test will give the hearing clinician access to a different point of view, helping them to formulate the most accurate result possible.

4. Shared responsibility
Sometimes it is hard to make an important medical decision by yourself. When it comes to investing in a pair of hearing aids it’s a good idea to tackle key decisions, such as what type to purchase, what features would compliment their lifestyle and how much to spend, together.

It is also important that a family member is at the first appointment so they can be informed of their importance to their loved one’s hearing rehabilitation process. Persistent encouragement, a positive attitude and the implementation of communication strategies by family members will ultimately result in greater satisfaction for everyone. It really requires a family effort to get the most out of hearing aids.

World's First 'Made for iPhone' Hearing Aid

I am very excited as I write this post because the world of hearing aids is about to be given a shake up. For some time hearing aids have had an negative image attached to them, but a new technology advancement is about to make hearing aids very cool indeed!

Danish hearing aid manufacturer, GN ReSound, has just launched its latest product 'LiNX' over in the United States and is due for release here in the UK later this year.

This new hearing instrument connects directly to iPhones and other iOS devices, allowing wearers to talk on the phone or listen to music, without any intermediary devices, and is the first of it's kind.

Launching alongside the LiNX is a new iOS app that works as a remote for the hearing aid, allowing wearers to adjust volume levels, equalisers, and switch between preset environments for the hearing aid, allowing the device to optimise to the user's environment.

Hearing aids can have several different modes, adjusting to the acoustics of each environment -- the app even uses geofencing to automatically change sound profiles based on the location of the wearer, changing for work, home, or a favorite restaurant. There is also a "Find My Hearing Aid" function to help users find their device if it's lost.

Previously, hearing aid wearers would need to carry a pendant or other wireless device in order to make changes to settings on a tiny hearing aid -- adjusting volume or switching between profiles -- now, users can make those changes directly on the iPhone, a device that many are carrying anyway in a significant quality of life improvement.

It also allows users to listen directly to games, calls, FaceTime conversations, music, and any other audio directly from the iOS device, without a handheld dongle or other intermediary devices.The technology will be available in hearing aids from both GN ReSound and its sister-brand Beltone.

Who said that hearing aids couldn't be cool?
 

 

New Technology Advancement For Profound Hearing Losses

World renowned hearing aid manufacturer, Siemens, has just released a new hearing aid for people whose hearing is severely impaired. The hearing aid is so thin that it can fit behind the ear of a hearing-impaired baby.

The new device, known as 'Nitro', is one-third narrower than its predecessor, and reason being because that it is equipped with high-performance microchips.

The new device offers an unprecedented sound volume even at the high amplification required for severely hearing-impaired users.

An important feature of hearing aids is that they sufficiently amplify speech to make it easily audible, but at the same time offer a sound experience that is as comfortable and balanced as possible.

The hearing aid receives sound waves through two microphones. The microchips split the sound waves into individual frequency ranges, on the basis of which they create a finely tuned sound no matter what the acoustic situation. The system automatically offsets audio feedback that creates an annoying whistling sound.

Although hearing aids generally have trouble dealing with a babble of voices such as occurs at parties, the new system can also handle such situations by making background discussions quieter so that the wearer can concentrate better on what his or her interlocutor is saying.

The technology within the hearing aid enables it to process a broader range of frequencies and split sounds into as many as 48 individually optimised channels.

Although this results in a huge number of calculations, it does not cause any noticeable sound delays, because the system processes 250 million commands per second. This makes listening with a hearing aid much less strenuous than was previously the case.

The signals from the two directional microphones are individually processed in parallel, enabling the system to more quickly eliminate audio feedback and identify sound sources so that irritating background noises can be filtered out.

Siemens engineers enabled left-ear and right-ear hearing aids to exchange data for the first time in 2004. This allows users to recognise differences in the signals received at each ear so that they can localise a sound source, for example.

I hope I have not bamboozled you with all of my technology speak. Suffice to say, this hearing aid is a fantastic advancement in helping those who have a profound hearing loss. The latest microphone technology in this device reduces listening fatigue substantially and right now no other hearing device for profoundly hearing impaired people can offer a comparable performance.

The key features to take from this new hearing aid are:

• A third thinner than its predecessor
• Very high sound volume and high amplification
• Comfortable and balanced sound experience
• Twin directional microphones: giving you more balanced hearing
• Feedback management to filter out unwanted sounds
• Wireless connectivity: compatible with a range of accessories allowing sound from audio sources directly to your ears

 

 

'Tinnitus was so loud, he was suprised I couldn't hear it!'

Imagine wearing a pair of headphones which are playing the sound of a whistling kettle.  Imagine wearing those headphones all day, and all night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Horrific it might sound, but that’s what life was like for one of my Suffolk patients – the victim of a debilitating condition known as tinnitus. The noise in his ears was so loud, he told me he was surprised I couldn’t hear it.

My company The Hearing Care Centre getting involved with Tinnitus Awareness Week this week (3^rd-9^th February 2014), to try and help raise awareness about the condition.

Although around one in ten of the UK population is affected by tinnitus (and that adds up to more than a few thousand in Suffolk alone) it’s extremely difficult to provide medical help because the sound isn’t usually caused by anything physical or biological which can be cured, it comes from within the sufferer themselves.

It appears drugs are no help either:   certainly there is not as yet, conventional or complementary medication that has been shown to ease tinnitus and it is thought that repeatedly trying unsuccessful therapies worsens tinnitus.

It was because he’d not been able to find relief that our man with the whistling kettle turned to The Hearing Care Centre.   Fortunately we know that in a large number of cases, tinnitus sufferers, who are often elderly, also have hearing loss which exacerbates the situation.

We tested his hearing and discovered he did have a significant hearing loss, and fitted him with hearing aids.   I won’t say it was a miracle cure, because it wasn’t, but he told us it had changed his life.  Now everyday sounds he hadn’t been able to hear because of the noises in his ears, were clearly audible, and they in turn, suppressed the aggravation caused by the tinnitus.

I cannot emphasise how much difference identifying the hearing loss made to this man.  At his first follow up appointment he said he had been to a restaurant and heard the conversation clearly– something he hadn’t heard clearly for years.

Unresolved tinnitus is more than just a noise:  it can make communication difficult for the sufferer and the unrelenting sounds can cause stress which in turn makes the condition worse.  It really is like a spiral; the condition causes stress and stress makes the condition worse.

Interestingly, experts believe that even those without significant hearing loss may find hearing aids are helpful. Straining t listen causes increased hearing sensitivity and this can allow tinnitus to emerge or, if present already, to worsen. Correcting even relatively mild hearing loss reduces this central auditory gain and thereby reduces the level of the tinnitus. Hearing aids are said to be useful even if the hearing loss is not at a point that aids would normally be considered.

Tinnitus Awareness Week is organised by the independent charity the British Tinnitus Association which is hoping to reach thousands of people of all ages across the country through its campaign.

For much more information, advice, support, videos or a FREE info pack, please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk/tinnitus  

 

 

Hearing aids me? I don't think so!

Here's another story from one of our lovely patients for our Now Hear This series.

Robert from Ipswich, Suffolk

Why did you decide to have your hearing checked by The Hearing Care Centre?

I'm too young to wear a hearing aid!

I work for Barclays and came to see Karen years ago and straight away she spotted something wrong with my hearing. At the time I didn’t want to hear it if you pardon the pun and so I ignored her advice and left!  I struggled on for five or so years, and then I came back to The Hearing Care Centre about two years ago and despite me ignoring them the first time Karen was brilliant and so I haven’t looked back since.

My problems became noticeable particularly with my job – I’m a mortgage adviser. I talk to customers all day long and when they were facing me I could cope but I noticed as soon as I turned away or they did,  I realised I couldn’t hear them. The other thing was, I was finding I was constantly tired from just trying to listen. In my head I suppose I thought a hearing aid would look like a brick fitted to the side of my head! When I finally had hearing aids fitted by The Hearing Care Centre they couldn’t have been smaller – at the tender age of 36 you care about that stuff. Finally at work I was able to become much more involved within the team again. I knew I  had valuable things to contribute in our team meetings but I didn’t say anything before as I was worried I wouldn’t be able to hear people’s responses. I found in a group situation it was even harder to make out what people were saying, especially if several people spoke at once. My poor Manager thought I was just being stubborn! I also found my lack of hearing affected my personal relationships at home and also with my friends. Unfortunately my wife and I split up, I’m not blaming my hearing entirely but I do think it was a contributing factor. I have found now that I have my hearing aids it’s actually helped my confidence. I used to find it difficult to make new friends but now I can hear I don’t feel like that anymore.

What would you say to others who are unsure about having their hearing checked? 

I always share my story with people; I would always tell them to go and see The Hearing Care Centre and Karen.  When I went back again to see her she explained the process so effectively I wondered why I didn’t take her advice before, perhaps I didn’t want to believe how bad it was. I’m now happier and more confident and in a new relationship too, so yes I think it’s vital you look after your hearing and The Hearing Care Centre can help you do exactly that. 

Thanks Robert, such a wonderfully personal and honest account and we're glad to have been able to help - eventually!

Regards Karen 

Hearing again is like a breath of fresh air for Chorister

As part of our Now Hear This series, we feature another of our patients who has kindly agreed to talk about why he chose The Hearing Care Centre.

Mike from Melton, Suffolk

My hearing deteriorated many years ago and it was making me rather miserable to be honest. I had been to see people about my hearing but it wasn’t getting a great deal better and then I came across Karen. She was like a breath of fresh air; she dealt with me, I though,t very professionally. I had a very in-depth assessment using a special machine at The Hearing Care Centre and she encouraged me to try the hearing aids she recommended. She managed to find the hearing support which was right for me as there are lots of different makes on the market and she just knew what would work for me and it does!

Before my aids a note was just a note

Without them I can hear almost nothing these days but with my aids I can hear and sing in the choir at church, I can easily switch quickly to the hearing loop and then back again when I’m not there. It’s the little things I notice the most with these aids, like I can again appreciate the difference between semi tones in the music – I think these aids are far more accurate than anything I used before I met Karen. In those days a note was just a note to me.

What would you say to others who are unsure about having their hearing checked? 

 I’m always recommending people go to see Karen and her team. For example I have a friend a couple of years older than me and he stands next to me in the choir. He wears two hearing aids himself and he can’t hear a thing! The other thing which is a big difference is that unlike the NHS clinics I can always come back whenever I need to.If I need some more advice or feel I need help with my hearing aids The Hearing Care Centre are happy to see me whenever I need to go in there and it’s not like that on the NHS.

Thanks Mike your comments are very kind and much appreciated. If you'd like not only to hear again but hear with clarity and definition why not give us a call?

Until next time

Regards

Karen

Treating me differently is no laughing matter

For our Now Hear This series, we feature another of our patients who has kindly agreed to talk about how people treated him differently initially when he had hearing concerns. 

Michael from Stutton, Suffolk

Why did you decide to have your hearing checked by The Hearing Care Centre?

Busy supermarkets with all the background noise can be tough

I’ve been with The Hearing Care Centre since October 2012. Previously to that I had National Health hearing aids for five years which to be honest weren’t really adequate. The hospital told me there was nothing more they could do for me so that’s when I turned to Karen and The Hearing Care Centre. She explained that my prescribed NHS aids were very basic and there was so much more choice to consider. We chose mid range aids to improve the quality of sound which are fully automatic so they greatly increase not only the volume but the quality of that sound coming into your ears. They are also extremely comfortable to wear compared to what I had before. I was becoming tired of the way people treat you when you have a hearing problem. I remember being at a supermarket checkout and having to say pardon to the cashier and she replied with ‘Are you thick or something?’ Even friends who mean well think its ok to poke fun at me because of my lack of hearing; its ok perhaps the first couple of times but NOT when they continually refer to it. When you think that the everyday things you take for granted are the things I struggle with, for example using a phone without my hearing aid would be impossible.

What would you say to others who are unsure about having their hearing checked? 

Once you reach say 55 I believe you need to regularly have your hearing checked, I mean you do for your eyes and think nothing of it. I got my father-in-law who couldn’t hear at all on the phone to go and see Karen and he’s very happy with his new hearing aids from The Hearing Care Centre. People say to me, yes but if I go privately I’ll have to pay -  trust me it’s worth it! If you go along when they are doing a free hearing test you have nothing to lose and they even let you try them out before you make a final decision.  You will be amazed at what you can hear again. I can now hear my grandchildren and walk safely with a pet or a child again as I can hear the traffic coming behind me. The biggest difference probably for my wife, is that the TV is now back to a normal and comfortable level for us both, although occasionally I have to tell her to turn it down!!

If any of Michael's or our other patients stories on this blog have struck a chord with you, we are here to help. Having a hearing test doesn't necessarily mean you'll need our help but at least you will know either way. 

May I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Until my next blog in 2014, regards Karen.