Rob`s COLUMN - South East Hearing Care Centres

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www.hearingcarecentres.co.uk
AUTUMN/WINTER 2014
hearing correction is increasing. Good
quality of life requires good hearing.
Rob’s
COLUMN
Hearing loss impacts
society as a whole
In my last column I talked about hearing
loss and how it can lead to greater
incidences of dementia if left untreated. It
can also lead to social isolation and
depression.
There are an estimated 10 million people
with hearing loss in the UK which has an
adverse affect on the economy. Hearing
loss equates to poor communication and
reduced job opportunities. A recent report
estimates that hearing loss costs Europe
213 billion Euros a year. Hearing aids can
be a major part of the solution, reducing
communication problems and promoting
good quality of life, especially in older age.
With increased life expectancy the need for
It is baffling then, that only a quarter of
people with hearing loss actually seek a
solution. Surely it cannot just be stigma
that stops people wearing hearing aids? At
South East Hearing Care Centres we
believe a general lack of awareness is to
blame and that is why we have held our
inaugural HearHere events to highlight not
just the highly advanced, technical and in
many cases invisible solutions available,
but also the clever devices that can be worn
to prevent hearing loss. These include
custom made ear defenders, shooter’s
electronic moulds and musician in-earmonitors. Too many people have damaged
their hearing through exposure to noise
and it is still the single biggest contributor
to hearing loss across the world.
Society would be more inclusive if we could
all communicate more easily and we can
help reduce the financial burden by firstly
doing all we can to prevent hearing loss
and as we grow older and our hearing
gradually diminishes, doing something
about it. If you feel you are at the stage of
seeking advice then please pop in to one
of our centres or visit our website for more
information.
Aslan has made fantastic progress with
obedience training and has already
passed his One Star and Two Star
assessments with flying colours, in
addition to achieving the Kennel Club
Bronze Good Citizen Award. Aslan’s ability
to learn quickly has enabled him to be
fast-tracked through the courses and is
now undertaking new and more complex
challenges. We hope in the next edition
we can provide more news of his brilliant
progress; we would like to commend the
tireless work that Hearing Dogs for Deaf
People undertake in training up dogs for
the hard of hearing and will continue to
support them in every way we can.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We are pleased to inform you that G.
Roberts will be moving up the road
from Welling to Bexleyheath. We are
very excited to move into these stateof-the-art premises which will enable
us to further improve the services
BROMLEY
Bromley Hearing Care Centre
available to our patients. Please check
local press and our website for further
details or to request any information.
A review of our newest branch will be
available in the next edition of
Distinctions.
Distinctions
WELCOME ROBERT
GOLDSMITH
4 East Street, Bromley BR1 1QX
Tel: 020 8460 8954
CHICHESTER
Chichester Hearing Care Centre
6 Baffins Court, Baffins Lane,
Chichester PO19 1UA
We recently held our inaugural
‘HearHere!’ events in Horsham &
Bromley. The purpose was to raise
awareness of all aspects of hearing
healthcare, not just solutions for people
with hearing difficulties but also hearing
protection for musicians, shooters, and
workers in noisy environments. Four of the
world’s largest manufacturers were in
attendance demonstrating their varied
technology. A large number of attendees
commented on how much they enjoyed
Tel: 01243 774 536
HORSHAM
South East Hearing Care Centre
20-22 Bishopric, Horsham
RH12 1QN
Tel: 01403 218 863
SEAFORD
Seaford Hearing Care Centre
4 Dane Road, Seaford BN25 1LL
learning directly from the manufacturers
what different systems are available to
them in an atmosphere that was relaxed,
informal and engaging. We’re still sifting
through all the questions and enquiries
that were raised at the time. Due to the
interest shown and the success of the
days we will be holding further
‘HearHere!’ events around our other
practices and they will become a mustvisit annual event.
Tel: 01323 899 655
SEVENOAKS
Sevenoaks Hearing Care Centre
HEARING DOGS FOR THE DEAF: ASLAN UPDATE
In the previous edition of Distinctions, we
mentioned our fantastic partnership with
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and one of
its wonderful puppies, Aslan. We are
delighted to inform you that Aslan has
been attending regular classes at Hearing
Dogs’ satellite in Southampton. He’s not
on his own- after a hard dayís work he
gets to enjoy some quality play time with
the other puppies!
You will find the same high
standards of professional care,
personal attention and
continued aftercare in each of
our partner practices across
Kent and Sussex.
AUTUMN/WINTER 2014
13 London Road, Sevenoaks
TN13 1AH
Tel: 01732 741 486
This edition of Distinctions contains some
brilliant news for our group; we are
delighted to announce the latest addition
to the family, Robert Goldsmith.
WELLING
Welling Hearing Care Centre
187 Broadway
Bexleyheath
DA6 7ER
Tel: 020 8304 1389
Services also available at
East Grinstead McIndoe Surgical
Centre, Holtye Road
Tel: 01403 218863
Goring-by-Sea Vision Express,
48 Goring Road
Tel: 01903 247042
Hailsham Mark Soper Opticians,
72 High Street
Tel: 01323 841699
Robert did his practical training with South
East Hearing Care Centres, uniquely
working in all of the centres to gain
experience with all aspects of hearing
care. He completed his degree at Anglia
Ruskin University, Cambridge and is now
fully qualified after recently undergoing
specialist training for the new Phonak Lyric
hearing aids. Robert will be based in
Seaford, Bromley and Horsham.
LYRIC: AN INVISIBLE SOLUTION
TO A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM
In our last edition of Distinctions, we
mentioned Chichester was to acquire
the facilities to fit Lyric, the world’s first
extended-wear hearing aid. There are no
batteries to change or daily insertion &
removal. We are pleased to report that
Chichester has joined the prestigious
Lyric programme and now makes up one
of our four approved Lyric centres. It is
further testament to the way in which
we embrace new technology that we are
the only UK company with four
dedicated sites.
Robert is a caring and motivated
individual and believes in hearing
solutions that genuinely put our patients’
needs at the forefront. Registered under
the Health Care Professions Council, he is
also a full member of the Association of
Independent
Hearing
Healthcare
Professionals and a member of The British
Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists.
Reverend Muhoro
School Update
Oticon’s new
hearing aid
Update on Aslan
the hearing dog
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HEARING AID MOT
Autumn is here and before we know it the
Christmas festivities will be upon us. Time
to call into your nearest centre and have
your hearing aid cleaned and checked to
ensure you don’t miss a word or a drop
over the holiday season. In the New Year,
we will be holding our customary battery
promotion along with reductions on filters
and cleaning products. If you haven’t got
yours yet, take out a privilege card and
enjoy the benefit of 10% off all our
products including hearing aids, on top of
our advertised reductions. We will even
give you a free wax check and advise
whether you require irrigation or microsuction.
ATTENTION ALL RUNNERS!
Fed up with poor fitting in ear
head phones? A simple but
extremely effective solution
is custom made ear moulds
for your in ear head phones.
The result is a secure
comfortable fit with much
less sound leakage so you
won't need to crank up your
devices and risk damaging
your hearing.
Your inner ear, the cochlea, has
approximately twenty thousand hair
like cells that detect sound. These travel
along neural pathways called the
eighth cranial nerve but it is actually
your brain that does the hearing by
interpreting the electrical signals.
Over 20,000 tonnes of portable
batteries are thrown away every year,
and many end up in land fill sites. So
bring along your old batteries to us,
and help save the environment.
NOISY
PROFESSIONS
Hearing loss can cause isolation and
depression, and certain jobs can put
your ears in harm's way more than
others. You should protect your ears on
at-risk work sites because once hearing
is damaged, it often cannot be restored.
An example of noisy professions can be
seen in the table below.
Our ears are extremely
sensitive mechanisms and
being one of our main five
senses we should protect
them. South East Hearing
Care Centres are on a
campaign to raise the
awareness of all aspects of
hearing
healthcare,
especially noise protection as
we firmly believe prevention
is better that cure because
sadly once your hearing is
damaged it is compromised
for good.
• Carpenter: Nail gun emits 110
to 140 dB of noise
• Ambulance driver or paramedic:
Ambulance emits 110 to 140 dB
of noise
• Tree surgeon or logger:
Chainsaw emits 110 to 140 dB
of noise
REVEREND MUHORO SCHOOL
FOR THE DEAF UPDATE
South East Hearing Care Centres have
always been proud to support the school
since our original donation eleven years
ago. Since then, we have made annual
visits to look after the hearing needs of
the students and hold free ear clinics for
the local community in Mukerewe-ini,
where the school is based. It is perched
on the verdant slopes of Mount Kenya
which helps make up for the arduous
journey of reaching the school along
DID YOU
KNOW?
unmade roads. However, to witness the
results of many students receiving
amplification for the very first time is
extremely humbling and motivating. The
emotional reward is as strong now as it
always has been and is the reason we will
always be associated with the school.
SEHCC are currently collecting hearing
aids and other audiological equipment to
take to the school in the New Year.
• Musician or rock star: Rock
concert speaker emits 110 to
140 dB of noise
• Air Traffic controller: Jet engine
emits 110 to 140 dB of noise
• Refuse Collection: refuse truck
emits 85 to 100 dB of noise
• Construction worker:
Jackhammer emits 85 to 100
dB of noise
• Landscaper: Power mower emits
85 to 100 dB of noise
A WORLD’S FIRST FROM OTICON
Oticon’s IIC (invisible in the canal)
model is the first in the world to feature
complete wireless technology. This
technology enables your aids to work
together, just as your ears do naturally.
It also enables you to connect to all
sorts of modern audio devices such as
your smartphone, TV, radio & tablet or
personal computer.
The elegant yet highly functional
structure of Oticon DesignRITE hearing
aids have already received several
international design awards. The
hearing aids look great and are very
easy to handle.
Testimonial: our hearing aids
are compatible in the harshest
of environments I have a few words that might be worth
mentioning to prospective users of the
Resound LiNX 9s.
I have been a hearing aid user for many
years, and one of the principal difficulties
has always been that of background
noise interference, with either analogue
or digital devices. The second major
difficulty has always been the use of the
aids in conjunction with most mobile
telephones, due to the feedback and
generally poor audio output.
I work in a high ambient noise
environment on-board a dynamically
positioned offshore support vessel,
which has engines, generators, cranes
running 24/7 and of course the sealed in
air-conditioning is also a source of
constant ‘white noise’. All my previous
hearing aids really did nothing much
more than simply amplify the whole
sound spectrum, and did not really help
me with proper comprehension of
speech, radio telephone use, and most
importantly
any
emergency
announcements that might be made.
I was initially sceptical about the
improvements that were claimed for the
Resound LiNX 9 system, but in the
seemingly never ending search for some
improvement to what has become a
disability; I was prepared to try them.
The results have been beyond my
expectations on all fronts. Day to day
hearing is particularly improved; this has
been noticed by many of my work
colleagues in that I am not endlessly
asking them to repeat themselves,
particularly in meetings and in situations
where I am involved in conversation with
several parties simultaneously.
The direct connection feature for the
iPhone is very practical, and it works! I
also enjoy the use of the remote
microphone which has proved to be a
boon for speech communication via
Skype and FaceTime on my laptop. I am
not an avid TV watcher, but I am sure
that the remote mic would be a great
feature for those who are.
I am also impressed that I can use the
Resound LiNX 9s inside electronic ear
defenders without discomfort or
‘feedback’ noise.
Peter, Midhurst, West Sussex
COFFEE-DRINKERS TAKE
HEED! YOUR DAILY FIX
COULD HELP RELIEVE
THE SYMPTOMS OF
TINNITUS
Coffee and other products containing
caffeine may help lower chances of
developing tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing
sound heard when none is present.
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH)
researchers examined 65,000 women,
aged 30 to 44. None of these subjects had
ever experienced tinnitus in 1991, the time
of the earliest data used as a baseline for
the report.
Women who consumed between four and
five cups of coffee per day developed
tinnitus 15% less than subjects who
consumed a third of that amount.