NEWS

When was the last time you thought about caring for your ears? Our hearing is one of those things we take for granted - until we experience a loss, infection or a blockage of ear wax deep in the ear canal.

Ear wax removal can be very beneficial to those using hearing aids to increase the functionality of their hearing aids. We call wax removal, 'Clinical Ear Care', as we are able to use a variety of techniques in one session to achieve the best results.

The UK Government have taken the advice of the World Health Organisation to wear face coverings on all public transport including buses, trains and planes to help reduce the risk of corona virus transmission. It is also best to wear them in other situations when social distancing is difficult. For hearing aid users this can cause a problem as they sometimes rely on lip reading and facial expressions to understand the conversations especially in challenging environments. The other problem that has been reported is that the hearing aids have been lost when removing the face mask. World leading Hearing aid manufacturer Starkey have produced some top tips on how to keep your hearing aids in position when wearing a face covering.

Acoustic feedback occurs when amplified sound from the hearing aid is able to escape the ear canal and the microphone picks up the sounds and they are re-amplified, this starts a cycle of sound leakage and re-amplification which will result in the whistle that is defined as acoustic feedback.

Otitis externa is acondition that causes inflammation (redness and swelling) of the external earcanal, which is the tube between the entrance to the ear canal and eardrum.Symptoms of otitisexterna include:· Earache· Itchiness and swelling in the ear canal· Discharge from the Ear Canal · Temporary Hearing LossWith treatment,these symptoms should clear up within a few days. However, some cases canpersist for several months or longer.

Everybody wants a hearing aid to be invisible but previously this came with limitations on the performance. This puts some people off seeking the help of a hearing professional even though they know they have a hearing problem.