Waxing lyrical...

House of Hearing's reputation is built upon the provision of the highest level of care and service to our clients. We know that ear wax (or cerumen to give it the correct name) is not the most pleasant of substances, but if there’s one thing that regularly affects our patients, their hearing aids and our ability to carry out our job, it's wax! Blocked ears render hearing tests inaccurate, cause even the most sophisticated hearing aids to malfunction or whistle, and ear impressions to be useless.

Nearly two years ago House of Hearing established a full wax removal service in our Edinburgh centre. This service is provided by Mairi Macleod, who is both a registered nurse and a hearing aid audiologist. Mairi trained as an aural care nurse at Rotherham Primary Health Ear Care Centre, under the auspices of Sheffield University and then completed further specialist training in wax removal using microsuction through Stoke Mandeville hospital with Mr Ian Botrill, consultant ENT surgeon.

Wax removal is done using a microsuction machine, rather than the older irrigation techniques. This advanced practice, employed by ENT surgeons, is regarded as the safest method of wax removal. Mairi also illustrates the effects using video otoscopy, providing customers with a clear view of the ear canals before and after the procedure. In keeping with the high standards that we set at House of Hearing, her professionalism is regularly praised - by staff and customers alike.

Our wax removal service is available fortnightly, on a Tuesday or Wednesday at our Edinburgh premises. This service is available to our clients and members of the public. We are happy to take referrals from GP surgeries too, and will provide a report, including otoscopy photographs where required.

To make sure you ear canals are up to the job why not arrange to come in and experience the service for yourself.

Is Tinnitus an alarm bell?

Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing in one or both ears and although many people have experienced this after being in a noisy environment or whilst suffering from a head cold, it is thankfully, only a brief intrusion to their hearing.

If it develops into constant tinnitus, this should not be ignored. In these cases, further advice, diagnosis and possible treatment should be sought, as it can be a symptom of other problems and an early warning of more serious underlying hearing loss. It is estimated that over seven million people in the UK are affected by tinnitus, yet only three million people have consulted their GP or a hearing professional with the condition. Many people choose to do nothing and simply resign themselves to live with the problem.

We now know that tinnitus is not a single problem, but can be a common symptom of underlying causes. This can be anything from noise-induced hearing loss from exposure to loud environments; a side effect of certain drugs and medicines; or in some extreme cases, more serious medical conditions.

In many cases, hearing aids have been shown to be helpful in coping with tinnitus. Tinnitus can be commonplace in those who are diagnosed as having a hearing dysfunction, possibly due to the damage to the hearing system, which is associated with its onset. For those people, a hearing aid may not only help to make external sounds more audible but may, in several cases, reduce the level of the tinnitus.

Vote now!

Vote for your hearing care professional - People of all ages around the UK are being invited to join the search for the country's top hearing expert.

Audiologist of the Year is recognised as the leading accolade for hearing professionals and is judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Hearing aid wearers and the hard of hearing are encouraged to nominate hearing specialists for the 2011 Rayovac Audiologist of the Year award. The exciting award aims to celebrate the skill and dedication of the UK's 3000 plus hearing professionals who make a huge difference to the lives of their patients.

Patients with inspirational stories to tell are encouraged to vote. It may be your hearing professional has provided support at a time of real need or delivered care over many years. Anyone can enter providing you've had a hearing device fitted in the last five years. All you need to do is to tell about the care you received and the difference it has made to your life.

Anyone interested in entering the competition can find out more here where you can also cast your vote. The closing date for entries is July 15th 2011 and entries are judged on the quality of the story they tell.

Hearing is one thing...but listening is quite another!

How many times have we heard "Sorry…I know you're 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 and we also have it available in a dedicated room at our centres. To learn more about LACE, contact us for further details.

GN Resound Centre of Excellence

House of Hearing are proud to announce that they have been made a Centre of Excellence by Danish hearing aid specialist, GN ReSound. ReSound Centres of Excellence are 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. Each hearing instrument must be delicately tailored to each individual, and often require a significant amount of time and expertise after the diagnosis. They often require adjusting as the client becomes accustomed to their new world of sound. This fine-tuning can take several appointments over a number of months. It ensures that the wearer is getting the most from the hearing aids that they have invested in.

To be recognised as a ReSound Centre of Excellence, House of Hearing were able to demonstrate a commitment to expertise, training and professional development in a clinical and caring background, and a comprehensive aftercare programme.

Stephen Fairfield, owner of House of Hearing says

“I am delighted that the care, service and professionalism of House of Hearing has been recognised by ReSound. Our ethos has always been to put the client first and we spend as much time as necessary ensuring that our customers get the best from their chosen hearing instruments. All our customers receive personalised and ongoing fine-tuning based on their hearing loss, personal preferences and lifestyle. And we offer a service and support package which is second to none in our industry. We know that this level of care makes a real, audible difference to our clients and are delighted to accept this award”.

ReSound are a leading hearing aid manufacturer responsible for many of the major technical advances in hearing aid technology in the past 25 years. Their latest product ReSound Alera enables you to hear effortlessly in everyday situations and on special occasions. It has a natural, rich and accurate sound. It also has first generation wireless streaming that connects to the TV and mobile phones. To find out more contact us on 0131 220 1220.

24/7 hearing now available at House of Hearing!

Lyric, the new hearing device from Phonak, is promising to take the world by storm. Bringing the convenience of 24/7 hearing, along with complete invisibility, the new instrument has wowed those who have tried it. Its placement deep in the ear canal means a quite unprecedented natural quality of sound, and since it remains in the ear while showering and sleeping, brings a never-before-experienced convenience to the wearer.

House of Hearing were the first registered and qualified fitters of Lyric in Scotland. Contact us to find out more details.

House of Hearing in Chicago

Andrew and Shona had the privilege of making the trip over to Chicago last week, for the American Academy of Audiology convention AudiologyNOW!

The enormous exhibition space at the McCormick Place Convention Center was, as ever, chock-full with impressive stands and displays from all the major manufacturers, featuring the very latest in hearing aid technology and accessories. Giant screens were everywhere, promoting hearing aids or even in one case projecting a cycling game. All for charity, you understand.

Phonak took the opportunity to provide a live demonstration of the UltraZoom and StereoZoom features in their Spice product range, and this proved impressive.

Alongside the exhibition, there was a wide choice of education on offer, from world-renowned speakers, on everything from specialised fitting techniques to marketing tips.

Both were grateful for the opportunity to visit America for this conference, although may have had their fill of burgers for the time being.