Experts warn that one in five Brits will suffer from hearing loss by 2035

Despite a growing problem, medical research spending on hearing loss has dropped in last decade, according to Action on Hearing Loss.

The number of people in the UK suffering from hearing loss will top 15 million by 2035, experts warn.

One in five of us will face deafness, tinnitus or hearing loss due to our rapidly ageing population, according to Action on Hearing Loss.

But despite the growing problem, medical research spending on hearing loss is the only area which has seen a drop in the last decade, a report by the charity found.

There are now 11 million people - one in six adults - in the UK living with hearing loss.

This figure is set to rise to 15.6 million by 2035, and will affect one in five adults.

There is plenty of research which shows that early intervention prevents hearing loss becoming worse over time, and this the decision hits the people who are least able to afford to pay for privately prescribed hearing aids.

I've campaigned for some years though my company's “Love your Hearing” campaign, to raise awareness about hearing loss, and I urge everyone to have regular hearing tests.  Ultimately untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation and has been linked to ill health and depression. 

What is even more worrying is that clinical commissioning groups across the UK are withdrawing free NHS hearing aids to new patients with mild hearing loss it will save £150,000 a year. This will only exacerbate the problem.

Let's hope the something changes and fast!

Improving your hearing in time for Christmas

There is nothing like the festive season with one social engagement after another. From the Christmas office party, drinks with friends and the buzz of the family gathering on the big day, December is a time for fun and social interaction.

But is it? For those experiencing hearing loss, this can be something of an annual nightmare, causing a variety of communication issues!

Imagine if you can, being unable to hear speech clearly because Christmas music is being played in the background or not being able to hear the excitement of children opening presents because they are all talking at once and you cannot separate the sounds clearly. Imagine dreading Christmas dinner on a large table with 15 other people because you won’t be able to hear what is being said around you. 

These are issues a normal hearing person doesn’t normally even consider.
Over 119,000 people in Suffolk have a hearing loss but the number is far smaller for those who have sought professional help from their local audiologist.

Hearing aids can make such a difference to someone's quality of life at this time of year. Hearing aids are so much smaller and discreet than they ever used to be and packed full of amazing features that will help during the festive period.  

You may have thought that with so much noise at a party or family dinner, hearing aids would just make things louder, but modern digital hearing aids aren’t simple sound amplifiers. They are designed to filter out all the unwanted noise - like the clanging of dishes in the kitchen or the background music - and help you focus on speech.

Features such as directional microphones work to reduce the amount of noise allowed to enter your hearing aids. In noisy environments, like at a Christmas party, the system will work to pick up the least amount of noise. If the noise is located behind you, your directional microphones will adapt to pick up sound from in front of you and dampen noise from behind you. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with hearing problems, don’t struggle through another festive season not being able to join in and have fun. I urge you to book a hearing test now and find out what could be done to help you in time for Christmas.

Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aids

Like most other electrical appliances, a hearing aid works most of the time. However, sometimes a hearing aid can fail and the problem is often a simple one which can easily be fixed.

Here are a few examples...

My hearing aid is whistling...

1. When your hearing aid is whistling it means sound is escaping from the ear.

2. Most hearing aids will whistle if completely covered with your hand and this is completely normal.

3. Is your hearing aid inserted correctly? Try putting it in again or getting a family member to look and check if it is fully in place.

4. Perhaps the volume or program has been altered accidentally. Try opening the battery tray fully to turn your hearing aid off and on again.

5. Do you have a wax blockage? Excessive wax in the ear can cause whistling problems. Please contact your district nurse, GP or trained audiologist to have your ears checked for wax blockages.

My hearing aid isn't working or has suddenly become quieter...

1. Turn your hearing aid off and back on again by opening the battery tray and closing it again.

2. Check the area of your hearing aid that goes into your ear. Is there any wax blocking the sound outlet? Try to clean this area with your cleaning brush to remove any wax or dirt.

3. If your hearing aid has any tubing check for kinks or blockages. Try removing the tubing and check if sound is coming out of the hearing aid. If it is, the tubing might need cleaning with a cleaning wire or an air puffer (whichever is applicable).

4. Try a new battery. The battery may have run out or it may have been faulty.

5. Are your microphones blocked? Check that the small microphone openings aren't blocked with dirt. Some hearing aids have protectors over the microphones, in which case these might need changing if your hearing aid has lost volume.

 

My hearing aid does not fit or is hurting my ear...

1. Your hearing aid should not be causing any pain. If it is hurting it's unlikely to be fitted correctly. Remove it and try and insert it again. If discomfort continues, please contact your audiologist.

What is a hearing test and does it hurt?

One in six people in UK experience some form of hearing loss, but perhaps unsurprisingly a large percentage of people have never had a hearing assessment or sought professional advice. One of the barriers stopping people for taking this step is the ‘going into the unknown’.

I thought it might be a good idea to briefly explain what to expect from having a hearing test and hopefully help to eradicate any fears you may have.

Having a hearing test is simple, doesn’t hurt and won’t take too much of your time. A full hearing assessment will be performed by a hearing aid audiologist who is a healthcare professional, highly-trained in the prevention, identification, assessment and non-medical treatment of hearing disorders.

The first part of a hearing test is called the case history: you’ll be asked about your medical history, current medical issues, medications, hearing loss symptoms, family history of hearing loss, history of noise exposure, your hearing concerns, etc. This will provide the hearing aid audiologist with an overview of your medical situation and will help them in assessing the hearing test results as well as assist in determining the necessity of a medical referral following the hearing test.

Next the hearing professional will examine your ear canals and eardrum with a specialised ear light called an otoscope. This is necessary to check for issues such as wax in your ear canal or infection of the outer ear.

Finally, it is time to begin the hearing test itself. You will be placed in a sound treated test booth or a quiet room. During the hearing test, a series of tones of different frequencies (also known as pitches) as well as speech signals will be presented to each ear separately through earphones. You will respond to test signals either by pushing a button, or in the case of speech signals, repeating what was heard.

The lowest levels of the test signals you can hear at least half of the time are called your hearing thresholds. Thresholds are recorded for each frequency and each ear on a chart called an audiogram.

Once your type and degree of hearing loss has been determined, your hearing care professional will be able to decide how much amplification you will need; they may then show you a range of instruments appropriate for your individual hearing loss and together you can decide what is right for you.

My final words of wisdom…

Take the opportunity to look after yourself and those you love by having your hearing checked; take positive steps to actively protect the precious sense that allows you to hear your world- your hearing.

New Apple Watch That Controls Your Hearing Aids

For today's blog post i wanted to let you all know a little more about the latest hearing aid technology with instruments that can be controlled by the new Apple Watch.

The aids are manufactured by ReSound, which has developed the first app that allows hearing aid wearers to control their instrument from their new Apple Watch. This is the latest in Smart Hearing – with the most discrete control available anywhere.

This free app allows control of volume, treble and bass levels, pre-programmed settings for different places (local restaurant, café, sports stadium, office, home) and view of the setting selected – right from their wrist. The app is called ReSound Smart™ and is available now from the App Store.

This development in hearing aid technology, connectivity and control follows swiftly on from the launch last year by ReSound of the world’s first made for iPhone hearing aid – ReSound LiNX.

ReSound calls this combination of audiology, connectivity, design and apps ‘Smart Hearing’. It delivers hearing aid wearers the most advanced and natural hearing experience.

Interested users can get immediate access to the ReSound Smart app for Apple Watch by visiting the App Store and downloading the latest version of the ReSound Smart app (3.0.1).

More information about ReSound’s portfolio of smart hearing aids can be accessed by visiting www.resound.com.

 

‘Molly Watts, a young woman with Ushers Syndrome explores some of the real world benefits of the Watch when paired with Smart Hearing aids. It’s a fascinating and moving account by an inspiring young woman and well worth a read.’

http://www.mollywatt.com/blog/entry/my-ears-my-eyes-my-apple-watch

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.

Osteoporosis and Hearing Loss: What’s the Connection?

Evidence is emerging that suggests a link between osteoporosis and sudden hearing loss, with a new study showing that SSNL (sudden sensorineural hearing loss) is almost twice as common among people with osteoporosis. 

SSNL is a sudden, unexplained loss of hearing that typically happens in one ear. It can happen all at once or over the course of a few days. 

 

Osteoporosis, which means ‘porous bones’, happens when bones lose density and mass at a rate of 3-4% per year. Small-boned women of European and Asian heritage past the age of menopause are particularly vulnerable, although men can have osteoporosis too.  When bones become brittle because of osteoporosis, they break very easily. A simple fall, bending over or even coughing can be enough to break a bone if a person suffers from osteoporosis. 

 

It’s not immediately clear why SSNL is more common among people with osteoporosis, but a recent study conducted in Taiwan found a 1.76-fold increase in the incidence of SSNL for patients with osteoporosis compared to a control group. And patients with more severe osteoporosis appeared to have a higher risk of hearing loss than those with milder osteoporosis.

 

It is difficult to say by there is a link between sudden hearing loss and osteoporosis however inflammation, bone demineralisation, and cardiovascular risk factors may all be contributing factors.

 

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis please do ensure that you book to have a hearing assessment. At least this way we can obtain a bench mark set of results for us to compare to over time. This takes no more than 30 minutes and provides us with a large amount of relevant information to assist in advising an action plan. In fact lots of my work is about educating the people of Suffolk and Norfolk to take proactive steps with their hearing!

 

It is worth noting that around 85% of the people who are treated for SSRL recover at least some of their hearing, but early treatment is key, as urgent medical treatment for SSRL is vital.

 

Make sure you keep your hearing ability high on your agenda in the same way you do your eyes and your teeth, regular checks are necessary for all ages.