When profoundly deaf Austin Chapman from the US tried his new hearing aids for the first time, he was astounded by the difference they made to his hearing. His experience was similar to most people using new hearing aids for the first time, with background sounds like the hum of the computer in the Audiologist’s office and the sound of the air conditioning suddenly becoming apparent.

Though these sounds took a lot of getting used to, the thing that really surprised Chapman was finally being able to hear and appreciate music. In his reddit post, he describes hearing a piece of classical music for the first time:

‘When Mozart’s “Lacrimosa” came on, I was blown away by the beauty of it. At one point of the song, it sounded like angels singing and I suddenly realized that this was the first time I was able to appreciate music. Tears rolled down my face and I tried to hide it. But when I looked over I saw that there wasn’t a dry eye in the car. I finally understood the power of music.’

Understandably Chapman didn’t want to stop there, so he appealed for ideas of where he should go next in his search for the best music to listen to. He got thousands of responses online, with the best comment suggesting he start at the beginning and work his way through to the current day.

If you love music, whether it’s Beethoven or The Beatles, Mozart or Meatloaf, or Liszt or Led Zeppelin, you don’t want to lose the ability to appreciate it.

If you think you have a hearing loss, then a hearing check with one of our Hearing Aid Audiologists will be able to confirm whether or not you would benefit from wearing hearing aids. Our hearing aids come in a number of different models, so there’s something to suit everyone, whatever your requirements.  

To find out more about our hearing service, visit our homepage.

Our hearing changes gradually over time and it can be hard to tell whether you need some help. Here are the top five signs that you need to have your hearing checked.

1. Other people are always mumbling

Do other people seem to mumble all the time? Does their diction drive you to distraction? If you often accuse people of mumbling, then it may be that you aren’t hearing as well as you used to. Of course, whether you want to be able to hear them clearly is another matter entirely.

2. Do people tell you the television or radio is too loud?

If you have to crank the volume up to 11 just to make out what they’re saying on Celebrity Masterchef, then it’s time to get your hearing checked out. Keep the peace, in every sense of the word, by finding out if you need some help with your hearing.

3. Talking on the phone is frustrating

Do you dread a ringing phone if there’s no one else around to answer it? Do the people on the other end of the line sound as if they’re holding a pillow between their mouth and the receiver? Have a hearing test. And if your hearing’s ok, then you need a new phone.

4. Having a conversation somewhere noisy is impossible

If you’ve given up trying to speak to other people at parties, concerts or noisy restaurants because you can’t hear them, it’s worth finding out whether your hearing is the problem.

5. You are constantly asking other people to repeat themselves

Having to ask people to repeat themselves eight times before you understand what they’re saying is extremely frustrating, not just for you but for them as well. Settle any future arguments with a quick, convenient, and, most importantly, free hearing check.

If one or more of the situations above seem familiar, then it’s worth finding out whether your hearing has changed. It may be something as simple as a build up of wax, which can be treated quickly and easily. If you do find you need hearing aids, one of our Hearing Aid Dispensers will be able to recommend the best solution for you and your lifestyle.

To find out more about our free hearing checks or book an appointment, visit our homepage.

There are four main types of hearing aids available, but how do you know which are the best for you and your hearing loss? To make things easier we’ve put together a quick guide below:

OTE – On The Ear

The OTE, or On The Ear, type of hearing aid is an ‘open fitting’. This means that the hearing aid doesn’t block your ear, so the sounds that come through are natural. The OTE hearing aids house the electronics in a small plastic shell that sits over your ear, with a slim, transparent tube that fits into the ear canal. OTE hearing aids are very discreet and come in a number of different colours and styles. These hearing aids are suitable for a mild to severe hearing loss.

BTE – Behind The Ear

BTE, or Behind The Ear, hearing aids are similar in style to the OTE hearing aid. They may come as an ‘open fitting’, with a slim tube directing the sound into your ear, or they may use a custom made mould that sits in your ear, a ‘closed fitting’. This means that the ear fitting is uniquely designed for you, making it secure and comfortable and ensuring that only amplified sounds get through. BTE hearing aids are discreet and available in a number of different styles, depending on your preference. They can handle most hearing levels, from mild to profound hearing loss.

ITE – In The Ear

These hearing aids are custom made to your ears and fit snugly in the shell of the ear. Like the BTE, they are a ‘closed fit’ hearing aid. The ITEs include all the system and speakers in the body of the hearing aid and are very small and fit comfortably into the ear. The style of these hearing aids mean that they are virtually invisible from the front, and they come in a range of skin tones so they will blend in so no one need know you’re wearing them. These hearing aids are perfect for anyone with a mild to severe hearing loss.

ITC – In The Canal

The ITC, or In The Canal, hearing aids are also a ‘closed fit’, and are very similar to the ITE type of hearing aid. Instead of sitting in the shell of the ear, however, they sit further in your canal, with only the very top of them visible. This means they are extremely hard to see and almost undetectable. The ITC hearing aids are suitable for mild to severe hearing losses.

Hopefully the above explanations of the hearing aids available will help you make your decision. If you want to know more about our hearing aids, one of our Hearing Aid Dispensers will be able to give you advice on the best fit and style to suit the changes in your hearing and you lifestyle.

For more information on our hearing tests and to book an appointment, visit our homepage.

With Team GB triumphing at the Olympics and smashing our medal goal before the games are even over, people all over the country have been inspired to join in.

If you wear hearing aids, however, taking part in sports, whether in a team or on your own, can be a challenge. To help you excel on the court, track or field, we have a few handy tips.

• Communication is key in team sports

If you’ve ever been part of a team, you’ll know how vital it is that you communicate with your teammates effectively. This can be more difficult if you have a hearing loss, especially if you decide to take your hearing aids out when you’re playing.

Speak to your coach and teammates and let them know the best way to communicate with you during practice sessions and matches.  Using visual communication, which could include hand signals, flags or even white boards, may be helpful. You should also make sure you can see the coach during any team talks.

• Protect your hearing aids

Hearing aids can be sensitive to sweat, so you need to protect them when you play sport. A simple headband or sweatband is ideal, as they will stop any moisture affecting your hearing aids. You can also use them to keep your hearing aids in place, especially during any vigorous activity.

• Swimming and water sports

There are now several models of waterproof digital hearing aids, which can be used while participating in water sports, but they are an expensive option if you don’t take to the water regularly.  The only guaranteed way to keep your hearing aids safe and dry is to take them out beforehand and make sure they are stored somewhere safe.

There’s always the risk that your hearing aids might get wet by accident, of course. If that happens, there’s no need to panic. Turn the hearing aid off straight away, remove the battery and dry with a clean cloth. Shake as much water out as possible and leave the hearing aid to dry out somewhere warm but away from direct heat. If you have a dehumidifier this will help to dry the hearing aid. If salty water gets into your hearing aid, make sure you rinse with fresh water before drying. Leave the hearing aid to dry for at least 24 hours. If it is still not working properly, it should be sent for repair as it will probably be salvageable.

• Consider investing in a spare pair of hearing aids

Many people have a second pair of glasses, which can be very helpful for use during sport. Having a second pair of hearing aids will mean that if you do have any sporting mishaps you won’t be left in silence while waiting for a repair. They will also come in handy if you misplace or lose your hearing aids.

Hopefully these tips will help you make the most out of your sporting life. If you have any of your own tips or tricks for exercising and playing sport with hearing aids, please let us know about them.

To find out more about hearing aids and our hearing tests, visit our homepage.

When the USA mens Volleyball team step out tonight to face the German team, their number will include David Smith, a deaf player who wears hearing aids in both ears.

Deaf since birth, according to doctors, Smith has 80-90% hearing loss, and has worn hearing aids since he was three years old. His hearing loss has meant the team has instigated a ‘David Smith Rule’, because once he’s in the middle of a play, he can’t be called off. But any potential problems have been eclipsed by Smith’s talent as an all round player.

Despite his talent, it wasn’t clear whether Smith would make the US Olympic team. “It has been a crazy summer, that’s for sure,” he told US sports network ESPN. “There were some opportunities that came up for me to show what I could do, and I think I did a good job with that. I wasn’t counting on being here, but I knew I was capable of being here.”

Lining up with the defending Olympic champions is a daunting experience, especially when there’s the possibility of his hearing aids coming out if he sweats a lot. But with his new hearing aids, that hasn’t been a problem.

Smith is joined another US Olympic competitor with hearing loss at the 2012 Olympics. Chris Colwill, who has a 65% hearing loss, is a diver competing in the Men’s 3m Springboard next week, on Monday 6^th August.

The nature of diving means that Colwill won’t be able to wear his hearing aids when he competes. As he told Yahoo! Sports, however, this can be an advantage: “If anything, it may give me a little bit of an edge just because I can tune out what’s going on with outside noise distractions. I know how to put myself into focus. I’m really good at blocking out noises anyway. It definitely helps me more than it hurts.”

Both Smith and Colwill have refused to let their hearing loss hold them back, showing the world that they can achieve as much as anyone with perfect hearing. To find out more about hearing loss and our hearing tests, visit our homepage.

If you have a hearing loss, it can make life very difficult. Investing both time and money finding the right solution for your hearing might not be top of the list of your priorities, but there are some compelling reasons why you should address it sooner rather than later:

1. Research shows that wearing hearing aids can slow down the degeneration of hearing, when compared to people with a hearing loss who don’t wear them.
2. Hearing aids can help tinnitus – there are special programmes available that can help some types of tinnitus, offering relief from the uncomfortable and irritating condition.
3. Communication is easier – having conversations, whether at home, work or in busy environments, is much easier and enjoyable with hearing aids. It also makes it easier for the people you’re speaking with to carry on the conversation.
4. Wearing hearing aids can help you stay engaged and mentally active – research has shown that hearing aid wearers are able to delay the onset of forgetfulness as they age compared to those with a hearing loss who don’t wear hearing aids.
5. The sooner you address your hearing loss and wear a hearing aid, the easier you will find it to readjust to hearing the sounds you have been missing.

If you think you might have a hearing loss, you can find out by having a free hearing check with one of our Hearing Aid Audiologists. This hearing check will be able to show how well you are hearing and whether you require any assistance. If you do find that there have been changes in your hearing, our Hearing Aid Audiologist can give you advice on which hearing aids will best suit you. 

To find out more about our services and hearing aid product range and book an appointment, visit our homepage http://www.thehearingcompany.co.uk/

Hearing aid technology has advanced greatly over the years. At The Hearing Company, all our hearing aids are digital, and come with optional features to help you make the best of your hearing, no matter what your individual requirements are.

With the new technology comes new features that aren’t always easy to understand. In this blog, we have explained some of the most common features to help you understand just what your hearing aids can do.

• Frequency Channels – Frequency channels allow us to fine tune the hearing aid. The more channels a hearing aid has, the more precisely they can be tuned, giving you the best results possible
• Feedback Control – Feedback, or the high pitched whistling that can occur when an object, such as a telephone, moves too close to the hearing aids, can be controlled by the automatic feedback cancellation feature. All hearing aids from The Hearing Company come with this feature, which means that the whistling is detected and cancelled out before it starts
• Background Noise Reduction – Unwanted background noise can make it difficult to get used to the difference that hearing aids make. This feature reduces the amount of background noise that is picked up by the hearing aids, meaning that you can focus on the things you want to hear, like conversations and music
• Speech Enhancement – This features works with the Background Noise Reduction function to make sure you never miss the point of a conversation or the punch line of a joke when you are wearing your hearing aids. Speech Enhancement is particularly useful in a noisy environment like a restaurant or party
• Wireless Connection – Hearing aids with a wireless connection can ‘talk’ to each other – they work together to monitor the changing environment, and if one hearing aid is adjusted (such as a change to the volume or memory setting) the other will automatically adjust to fit in with this change

These are just a few examples of the features that your hearing aid may have. At The Hearing Company we have a wide range of hearing aids available, and our staff will be able to advise you of the best model to suit your needs. Our hearing test services can identify your requirements and recommend which features will bring your the most benefits. To find out more about our services and hearing aid product range, visit our homepage http://www.thehearingcompany.co.uk/

Four-year-old Anthony, from New Hampshire in America, suffers from mosaic trisomy 22, a genetic disorder that can cause health defects. In Anthony’s case, he suffers from hearing loss in his right ear, and wears a hearing aid, which the family call his ‘blue ear’.

When he declared he didn’t want to wear his hearing aids anymore, because superheroes don’t, his mother, Christina D’Allesandro, assured him that they do.

His mother, keen to make sure Anthony didn’t give up on his hearing aid, checked whether there was a superhero with hearing aids with Marvel, the comic book publishers behind superheroes including Spiderman, the X-Men and the Avengers. Marvel writer and editor Bill Rosemann heeded her call and sent the family an image of Hawkeye, a superhero who fought alongside the Avengers, who lost his hearing while rescuing someone and had to wear a hearing aid.

Christina showed the picture to her son; ‘we gave it to him and he was captivated. He was staring at it, look there it is,’ she said.

But Rosemann didn’t think this was enough, and asked his editorial team if anyone could create a superhero in Anthony’s honour.

The team took up the challenge, and Blue Ear was born. Created by Assistant Editor Nelson Ribeiro and Production Assistant Manny Mederos, who used their free time to work on the project, Blue Ear is part of a ‘top super secret government agency called Inter-C.O.M.,’ Ribeiro revealed, adding that the new superhero can hear ‘an ant hiccup on the other side of the country.’

‘The Blue Ear, along with the other superheroes of Inter-C.O.M., who are all special needs children, have banded together to use their newfound powers to fight crime and teach the world that no matter who you are, everyone has a hero inside of them!’ Ribeiro said.

The Marvel team sent an image of Blue Ear to Anthony, showing him wearing his own hearing aid and listening out for cries of trouble across the city he protects. They didn’t stop there either, and also sent him a picture of the boy wonder with Hawkeye, both heroes with a hearing loss.

Anthony now wears his hearing aid with pride, but if he ever changes his mind, his mother only has to remind him of his alter ego; “I tell him he has to hear people calling for help,” Christina said. “He gets the whole connection. He’s loving it.”

This week is Deaf Awareness Week, which ends on Sunday 13th May. To mark the week, a number of deaf awareness charities have got together to highlight the issue of how difficult it can be for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to get a satisfactory level of healthcare.

Going to your GP or visiting the Hospital is a stressful experience for most, but becomes even more difficult for people with less than perfect hearing. The lack of training for Doctors and other staff in how to communicate with people who are deaf or have hearing problems can make it hard for these patients to understand the explanation of their medical condition.

New research also found that 68% of people who used BSL (British Sign Language) and have asked for an interpreter to be present at an appointment did not get one. And 41% of people who did have one present felt the interpretation was not of a good standard, leaving them confused about the information they received.

While it is a legal requirement that people who are deaf or have difficulty hearing receive the same level of service as all other patients, the finding of this research demonstrates that it is not always provided.

A petition has been raised demanding that local health services only use BSL interpreters who are registered with the NRCPD (National Register of Communications Professionals). You can sign the petition here.

You can read more about the research into the experiences of BSL users when accessing healthcare, carried out by Action on Hearing Loss, here. And, if you want to find out more about what is happening during Deaf Awareness Week, visit the website.