Newsletter October 2022

Selma Becker, Senior Hearing Aid Audiologist

A very warm welcome to you all.  In the last couple of months, we have seen three of the hearing aid manufacturers releasing new models. It is such an exciting time for new technology and as you know we always like to keep you up to date with any new developments. There is further information in the New Products section, but we are delighted to be holding an Open Month in November for you to find out more. Our Open Weeks are so successful that we thought we would run our offer of a free hearing reassessment and hearing aid trial for the whole month.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of my team. Our lovely aural care practitioner Nikki Benson is now studying to become a Hearing Care Assistant, with our audiologist Wendy Davies helping with her clinical training. Our super-efficient Receptionist and Assistant Administrator Natalya Knight passed her business apprenticeship with flying colours, indeed she gained a distinction. We are so delighted for her as she worked extremley hard and we are very lucky that Natalya has decided to stay on.

Natalya is at the end of the phone for all your bookings, please do give her a call on our freephone number for both practices 0345 2220579. Or you can of course also send an email. I hope you enjoy our latest newsletter.

In this issue look out for a case study on a client whose hearing was restored by Wendy’s prompt action when he came to see us with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Historically this was a condition that was often left untreated and it is so good to know that the emergency referral processes that have been developed over the years really work.

Also don’t forget it’s November coming up soon – and that means fireworks! Although they are fantastic to watch, we must always remember to protect our ears. We have a special offer for some free ear defenders – take a look at our news page!

We do hope you enjoy this issue. We look forward to any feedback you have and seeing you all in practice!

The new Oticon Own invisible IIC

Following on from the success of our previous Open Weeks and our recent Open Month in Marlow, we are running a special promotion at both practices in November.

Free Hearing Assessments and Hearing Aid Trial in November

Book a free reassessment of your hearing during the month of November and take up the opportunity of a free two-week hearing aid trial.  At your appointment, we will check your hearing and ear health, make any necessary adjustments to your hearing aids, and look at ways to further improve your hearing.

If it has been a while since we last saw you, we want to make sure your hearing is at its best. We would like to show you the new technology that has been introduced, with three of the main hearing aid manufacturers launching new ranges. There are more details in our New Products section – find out about:

• Oticon have a new collection of custom built invisible-in-canal aids
• Phonak have launched Lumity, which gives “improved speech understanding in noisy environments”
• Widex have developed a new Moment edition called Sheer, which focuses on “natural sound”

It is important to have your hearing tested regularly. Hearing loss is often a subtle process, and it can be difficult to notice a deterioration. Regular reassessments will give you the peace of mind that you are doing all you can to keep hearing at your best. And the continuous updates in technology mean that we can offer you the best solution for your hearing needs.

Call Natalya on 0345 222 0579 today to book! Or email

Spotlight on….Autism by Wendy Davies

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. (Autism.org 2022)

Autism is a spectrum condition which will affect individuals in different ways and to different severities.

The challenges those with autism face include social interaction, changes to routines, repetitive behaviour, under or over sensitivity to light, sound, touch and taste, anxiety and intense interest in hobbies.

Three times more men and boys are diagnosed with Autism than women.

Understanding Autism. My experience of an online course.

As a member of the Open University Business School Alumni, I am kept informed about various meetings, lectures and free online courses offered by the university.

I have completed several of their free online courses covering a range of different topics from the moon to politics for my own interest. However, the most recent course, “Understanding Autism” provided me with knowledge that I could bring to my role at Help in Hearing.

As an Audiologist, I am required to complete ongoing professional development and generally that is strengthening my knowledge and skills around audiological topics, but it is, of course, beneficial to read over a wider range of topics. Several of our clients have other health challenges beside a hearing problem. While I will not become an expert in any of these, more understanding of the difficulties a health issue brings and how it may impact on an audiology appointment can only improve the quality and efficacy of my consultations.

I had a small understanding of Autism before I started the course but was keen to learn more.

The course was split into 8 modules with the intention that one module would be completed each week, but I found the material so interesting, that I completed all 8 modules in 3 weeks.

Providing insights into Autism

The course began with an explanation of what autism is and the appropriate terms and language that should be used when discussing people with autism – a simple and yet important topic to ensure that no offense is caused by using inappropriate descriptions.

Text is interspersed with short videos from both parents of children with autism and adults with autism which provide great insights.

Completing this course has increased my knowledge and understanding of autism.

It does not make me a specialist or make Help in Hearing a centre specialising in helping people with autism. But it does mean that should I see any clients with autism, I will know the best way to communicate and present information to them and understand what changes may need to be made to the clinic room to create a more comfortable environment. I am hopeful that even these small changes would make any consultation a better experience for any clients with autism.

The Open University free online course are available to everyone via Open Learn www.open.edu/openlearn

We often send out client satisfaction surveys to be sure we are keeping up our gold standard service. We would like to thank our clients for taking the time to feedback to us.  We’d love to hear from you, so please email us if you’d like to provide feedback or a testimonial about our service.

If you have been delighted with the services that we offer, we would really appreciate it if you could click and review us on one of these links below. It is a simple process – you just need your email or facebook login passwords at hand – or take a look at our instructions here:  https://www.helpinhearing.co.uk/review

Just click on one of the links, depending on which practice you visit.

help in hearing farnham common – Google Search

help in hearing marlow – Google Search

https://m.facebook.com/HelpInHearing/

Thank you!

“Good experience with great staff and excellent equipment.”

“I was very pleased with my appointment with Wendy, who was a very pleasant person and who gave me a lot of interesting information about my hearing”

“The whole process was simple, easy to understand and conducted in a professional manner.”

“The personal attention and time taken to explain the process was very good indeed.”

“Kevin was very kind and helpful and I feel I will receive some aid with my hearing problem.”

“Selma looks after me in a friendly and professional manner” – David Hoy

An interview with Peter Lawes, a client who sees Wendy in Farnham Common 

Wendy’s fast response saves client’s hearing

Just a few days before he was due to go on holiday to Canada, our client Peter Lawes suffered from sudden sensorineural hearing loss. However, we are delighted to report that the symptoms were subsequently reversed by steroid treatment, thanks to the fast response by Senior Audiologist Wendy Davies in her intervention to save his hearing.

With fate playing a helping hand, coincidentally on the morning that he woke up unable to hear in his left ear, Peter and his wife Susan were due to see Wendy for their annual hearing check. “As I opened my eyes on that Friday morning, I was astounded to realise that I couldn’t hear in one ear. Indeed, I was overwhelmed by a very loud, odd rushing water sound. I kept clicking my fingers next to my ear to test my hearing but there was nothing”, he explained.

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Peter and Susan were so relieved that the incident happened on the day he was due to see Wendy. As soon as she carried out the audiometry, she immediately recognised his condition as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) and sent him off to A&E at Wexham with a letter explaining the urgency of the referral. “It is vital for someone with SSHL to be treated with steroids within 48 hours” she explains, “because if the condition is left any longer it cannot be reversed, showing why the speedy response protocol is now recognised by the NHS”.

Thankfully this process was followed, and Peter was seen straightaway. Within a few hours he was taking steroids. “I couldn’t believe the timing.  If I didn’t already have an appointment with Wendy, I might have waited a while longer to see if my hearing improved, or I might even have left it until my return from my holiday in Canada, which would have been too late. I am so grateful and thankful to Wendy for her fast work!”

The best part is being able to hear!

Frustratingly, Peter and Susan’s flight to Toronto was delayed by 24 hours and when they arrived in Canada, they had the double delay whammy of Susan being picked at random for covid testing. Although the build up to their transatlantic trip was far from ideal, once the holiday finally started, Peter and Susan were able to relax and enjoy catching up with their family and friends who live over there. But they both say that the best part of all is that Peter is able to hear!

When he returned to the UK, Wendy followed up her appointment with Peter who was delighted to confirm that his hearing was back to normal.  He says he definitely plans to book in for regular appointments with Wendy, to ensure his ears are well and truly looked after.

If you have experienced a sudden hearing loss in one or both ears please contact us immediately.