Scientists estimate nearly 15% of people with the virus suffered tinnitus and nearly 8% suffered hearing loss.

Hearing loss and other auditory problems may be strongly linked to coronavirus, new research suggests.

Scientists estimate 7.6% of people infected with COVID-19 experience hearing loss, while 14.8% suffer tinnitus. They also found the prevalence of vertigo was 7.2%.

The researchers, Professor Kevin Munro and PhD researcher Ibrahim Almufarrij from The University of Manchester and Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, compiled data from 24 studies that identified an association between coronavirus and auditory and vestibular problems.

“If it is correct that something between 7% and 15% are having these symptoms, that’s something we should take very seriously,” Professor Kevin Munro, said director of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness. ”There are big implications for clinical services if this means there could be a big increase in the number of people coming forward.”

Hearing problems can be caused by other viruses – including measles, mumps and meningitis – which damage sensory cells in the inner ear.

It is not known why COVID-19 can cause these issues and researchers believe a wide variety of people have been affected. “There are some people who say the symptoms are ongoing. There are others who say it seems to have settled down a bit so there are lots of unknowns right now,” Prof Munro said.

The researchers’ data primarily used self-reported questionnaires or medical records to obtain coronavirus-related symptoms, rather than the more scientifically reliable hearing tests.
They are now conducting a more detailed clinical study which they hope will accurately estimate the number and severity of COVID-related hearing disorders in the UK. Professor Munro, is currently leading a year-long UK study to investigate the possible long-term impact of COVID-19 on hearing among people who have been previously treated in hospital for the virus.
His team hope to accurately estimate the number and severity of COVID-19 related hearing disorders in the UK, and discover what parts of the auditory system might be affected. They will also explore the association between these and other factors such as lifestyle, the presence of one or more additional conditions and critical care interventions.

A recent study led by Professor Munro, suggested that more than 13 per cent of patients who were discharged from a hospital reported a change in their hearing.

Ibrahim Almufarrij said: “Though the evidence is of varying quality, more and more studies are being carried out so the evidence base is growing. What we really need are studies that compare COVID-19 cases with controls, such as patients admitted to hospital with other health conditions”.

“Though caution needs to be taken, we hope this study will add to the weight of scientific evidence that there is a strong association between Covid-19 and hearing problems.”Professor Munro added: “Over the last few months I have received numerous emails from people who reported a change in their hearing, or tinnitus after having COVID-19.

“While this is alarming, caution is required as it is unclear if changes to hearing are directly attributed to COVID-19 or to other factors, such as treatments to deliver urgent care.”

If you have been affected by COVID-19 and are experiencing hearing problems, please contact us to book a hearing assessment using the form below.

Sources:
International Journal of Audiology / Sky News / The University of Manchester

We have come to the end of an unprecedented and challenging year. We want to thank all of our customers for respecting the coronavirus measures we have in place in both clinics. We are so happy to say that in a recent survey 100% of customers have felt safe and protected whilst in either clinic.

We are so grateful to everyone who has taken the survey and left us a review, it has really made a difference to all of us. Your kind words have encouraged us to do better every single day and have also helped potential customers to take a leap of faith in us to help them on their journey to better hearing.

This holiday season is unlike any other, to cap off a year unlike any other. Throughout this season, and as we move into a new (and hopefully better) year, we wish you moments of peace amid the difficulties, connections with family and friends even if they can’t be in person, the warmth of memories from holidays past, and wonderful glimpses of the joy that still lives under the surface.
May the holiday season end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year.

Merry Christmas & Happy New ‘Hear’!

Tom, Victoria & the whole team at Worcester & Stratford Hearing Centres.

Holiday Hours

Our last day of clinic will be Wednesday December 23rd.

We will be closed from Thursday December 24th until Monday January 4th.

We look forward to seeing you in the new year at our normal hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

We’d like to introduce to you the latest product from Phonak, the Audéo Paradise hearing aids. These revolutionary hearing aids are inspired by nature, as nature is the source of so many sounds that can soothe, relax and comfort us.

Comprised of all new hardware, Paradise takes hearing performance to the next-level by offering not only crisp, natural sound but also several new features.

Voice assistance access at a tap

Imagine answering phone calls, streaming or pausing music, and activating voice assistants just by tapping your ear. A motion sensor in Phonak Paradise offers you an effortless way to do all that and more. The built-in microphone allows you true hands-free calls and voice assistant activation.

Connects to smartphone, TV and more

Phonak Paradise connects directly to your iOS®, Android™ or other Bluetooth®-enabled devices so you can stream audio in excellent quality directly to your hearing aids. Plus, as an added convenience, you can simultaneously connect to two Bluetooth devices and seamlessly alternate between the two.

First of all…

We hope this message finds you and your families well. Our hearts go out to anyone who has been impacted by the virus, either directly or indirectly. Our thoughts are especially with those who are sick, to whom we extend our heartfelt wishes for a full recovery. We’re truly inspired by the selfless key workers who have been working tirelessly to keep all of us safe.

At Worcester & Stratford Hearing Centres, we are focused on the health and safety of our employees, families and communities. We have put extra measures in place to keep all of our staff and customers safe and healthy, in line with professional bodies and government guidance.

Appointments available now for existing patients

From Monday 1st June, we will be offering appointments to new patients.
Also, we will be contacting all of our customers who have missed appointments during the lockdown to reschedule.

We are following strict infection control procedures and social distancing methods as indicated by the NHS, BSHAA and BAA guidelines; for appointments, sanitisation and sterilisation.

Guidelines for attending appointments

By accepting your appointment you have agreed to the best of your knowledge:

•  You or anyone in your household does not have COVID-19.
•  You or anyone in your household has had contact with anyone who has tested positive or shown symptoms of COVID-19.
•  You do not have a new, continuous cough.
•  You do not have a high temperature (37.8 oC or over).
•  No one in your household has a new, continuous cough or a high temperature.

By providing this information at the time of our call, we have agreed to provide you with an appointment. If we suspect that this information is not a true reflection of your condition, we reserve the right to refuse the appointment for your safety and ours.

What we ask you to do:

•  Arrive at the allotted and agreed time not early & certainly not late. If early, wait outside until you are called into the clinic.
•  If you depend on a supportive contact for transport to the practice we ask them to wait outside for you to finish. Unless required for assistance due to disability.
•  The temperature of the customer will be taken on arrival, when filling out COVID-19 declaration.
•  Once on the premises please refrain from touching anything unnecessarily.
•  You will be given hand sanitiser to thoroughly clean your hands. We ask you to bring a face mask, if you do not have one we will provide one but there will be a £1 charge.
•  If for some reason, you need to cough, or sneeze, warn the audiologist immediately or put your mouth into your sleeve if a warning is not possible.
•  Follow the instructions of the audiologist and please indicate if you do not understand anything.
•  Keep light conversation to a minimum during the appointment unless its related to the procedure particularly if you are within 2m of the audiologist
•  When leaving please sanitise your hands again & refrain from touching anything where possible.

We have prepared for re-opening

Both of our practices have undergone a deep clean sanitisation procedure as a precautionary measure.

We have sanitised our carpets and all surfaces, focusing on touch points including equipment, furniture, desks, computers, doors, floors, kitchens and toilets.

We have teamed up with Dynamic Cleaning Services, another local business, for this endeavour.

We have been here to help our customers as best as we can

During periods of social distancing and isolation, having working hearing aids is essential to keep users communicating with family and friends and keeping up to date via the TV and radio.

Even though we haven’t been able to offer face-to-face consultations during this difficult time, we have been supporting our customers, in both Worcester and Stratford, with telephone consultations, hearing aid repairs and providing battery supplies.

You can contact your nearest branch if you need
to book an appointment or if you have any queries. 

We are here for you.

What’s the number one complaint hearing care professionals hear from new patients with hearing loss?

“I can hear, but I can’t understand.” If this is what you’re experiencing, you may have hearing loss.

Hearing loss involves not only the ears, but also the brain where sound is translated into meaningful words. Symptoms that vary between people. Hearing loss comes in all degrees from mild to profound. But most people, especially older adults, have mild-to-moderate hearing loss, especially the type that makes it harder to hear high-pitched sounds. In this case, the only symptom may be difficulty with word understanding, especially in situations where there is competing noise.

Hearing vs. understanding

When your hearing is tested, the results are plotted on an audiogram. People with high-frequency hearing loss are said to have a “sloping” hearing loss. If you have a sloping hearing loss, it means you are able to hear low-pitched sounds, (sounds below 1000 Hz), sometimes even as clearly as someone with normal hearing. But, high-pitched sounds (sounds above 1000 Hz) need to be much louder before you can hear them.

While not always the case, high-frequency hearing loss is often the cause of feeling like you can hear but can’t understand.

Did you say parrot or ferret?

In speech, the vowel sounds (A, E, I, O and U) are low in pitch while consonant sounds like S, F, Th, Sh, V, K, P and others are high in pitch. Being able to hear vowel sounds is helpful and will alert you that speech is present, but it’s the consonant sounds that give speech meaning and help you distinguish one word from another. Without being able to hear subtle differences between consonants, words like “cat” and “hat,” “parrot” and “ferret” and “show” and “throw” can be hard to differentiate. This is why so many people with high-frequency hearing losses brought about by natural aging (presbycusis) or excessive noise exposure have difficulty understanding even when they know sound is present.

Trouble hearing with background noise

If you have a high-frequency hearing loss, you may notice problems understanding speech even in a relatively quiet environment, but when background noise is present or several people are talking at once, it can become nearly impossible to follow a conversation. People with hearing loss that has gone untreated for a number of years sometimes begin to avoid lively social situations or public places they once enjoyed because interacting with others is too difficult.

Signs of high-frequency hearing loss

When you have a high frequency hearing loss, you may have trouble:

• following conversations in quiet and noisy places (hear but can’t understand).
• talking on the phone.
• understanding your favorite TV shows or movies even when you turn the volume up.
• understanding female and young children’s voices because they tend to be higher in pitch.
• enjoying music because it sounds distorted, especially at higher volumes.
• feeling exhausted from listening

Family members, friends and work colleagues can get frustrated and feel you aren’t listening to them when they speak to you. Your spouse may accuse you of having “selective hearing.” You may accuse others of mumbling. Sometimes, you will answer questions inappropriately and miss the punch lines of jokes. Other times, you may resort to smiling and nodding when someone speaks to give the impression you are listening when in fact, you do not understand what was just said. Untreated hearing loss can take a toll on relationships, careers and your daily life.

Don’t accept difficult hearing

If your hearing test reveals hearing loss, hearing aids can amplify the high pitches you’ve been missing without amplifying low-pitched sounds. Once you begin wearing hearing aids, you will notice improvement with understanding speech and you may even notice you’re hearing sounds that have long been forgotten. For instance, some new hearing aid wearers are pleasantly surprised to hear the soft chirping of songbirds for the first time in years. You will once again be able to hear that beeping sound your microwave makes, your car’s turn signal and your phone ringing.

If you can hear, but can’t understand, you’re not alone. This is what we hear almost every day from our patients, and we are highly skilled at getting to the root of the problem, listening to your concerns and finding a solution that meets your needs. Don’t give up on enjoying conversations at work, home and play.

Contact your nearest branch to book your full hearing assessment today.

Source: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/32039-I-can-hear-just

Enjoy the sounds of spring

Reconnect with nature and enjoy its sounds during this beautiful time of year.

Birds singing, leaves rustling through the blossoming trees, buzzing bees flying around from one flower to another, a flowing stream and even spring showers are a few of the wonderful sounds you could be missing this season.

Spring into action

It’s all too easy to miss out on natures subtle sounds if you are experiencing hearing loss.

In addition to being able to hear the sounds of nature, our bespoke hearing solutions will allow you to experience clarity in speech.

So you can enjoy a gathering in the garden or a walk along the river with your loved ones.

Contact us to book one of our 100 FREE hearing assessments available HERE.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of noises in the head/or ear which have no external source. Those living with the condition may have to endure a ringing, buzzing, hissing whistling or other noise. The sensation can be constant or intermittent and can vary in volume.

The British Tinnitus Association claims that 1 in 8 people in the UK are living with persistent tinnitus.

Is there a cure?

Currently there is no known cure for Tinnitus but there are a number of strategies that can be very helpful in managing the symptoms such as correcting any hearing loss and counselling.

What can be done about Tinnitus?

Tinnitus can’t always be prevented and there are many causes and reasons why people experience the condition. There are a variety of ways you can help protect yourself from tinnitus in certain situations such as using earplugs and listening through headphones at a safe level.

Help yourself from Tinnitus

Most cases of tinnitus are linked to hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear, such as through normal ageing or exposure to loud noise. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural.

For more information visit our Tinnitus Therapy page.

Contact your nearest centre and book your Tinnitus Assessment today.

BBC Interview For Our Audiologist

‘Before you pick up any instrument or think about singing a single word if your hearing is impaired your performance will be too’.

On the 26th of September our very own hearing protection specialist and hearing aid audiologist, Tom Dixon was asked by the BBC introducing producer Andrew Marston to attend a local live recording at the Oxford Arms in Kington, Herefordshire. He was interviewed about all the work he is doing locally to raise awareness of hearing loss and tinnitus through overexposure to loud music. ‘musicians don’t realise how important protecting their hearing is until it’s too late’, Tom told Andy that he see lots of people at his Worcester Hearing Centre that are suffering from the side effects of loud music, there is no need for it, the protection is out there it just needs to be known about and worn. Tom works with Tower studio’s to provide regular talks to musicians trying to raise awareness to the side effects of loud noise.

The Worcester Hearing Centre provides a very comprehensive service for musicians including industry standard custom made filtered hearing protection and in ear monitors. Every client receives a full diagnostic hearing evaluation, ear health examination and annual hearing check reviews free of charge.

We recently wrote a short editorial that was published in a local musicians magazine. Please see the full editorial that we wrote below…

Don’t Lose The Music

The younger generation of today are increasingly likely to be suffering from hearing problems related to exposure of loud noise, from increasing attendance at live concerts and festivals, to MP3 earphones turned up to the maximum and worn for long periods of time. People are just simply unaware of the damage they doing to their hearing. An average level of noise within a factory is roughly 80 – 85 dBA, this is considered to be a safe environment to be in without wearing hearing protection for up to 8 hours.

However every 3 decibels increase after 85dBA halves the amount of time you can be in that environment before there is a risk of hearing damage, so at around 90 dBA (which is equivalent to a lawn mower) we are down to 2 hours exposure and then at risk of damage to the hearing. The average gig within a pub or club around the town is around 100 -110 dBA depending on the sound system used and acoustics within the venue, at 103 dBA it is considered only safe to be in that environment without hearing protection for about 10 minutes before possible damage.

I know what you’re all thinking, ‘I’ve been playing in my band and going to gigs and I can still hear’. Yes! you can, the damage to your hearing may not come on over night but every one of us has been to gig or a club and come home and had ringing in our ears, and some of us still for the next couple of days after. The ringing noise normally goes away but the more you enter these loud environments the longer the ringing lasts for until eventually it doesn’t go away and you here it constantly, that noise is then classed as Tinnitus and once you have it, you have to get used to living with it and managing it, there is nothing that can be done to cure it.

Prevention is the only cure; at the Worcester Hearing Centre there is full range of generic and custom made earplugs that can attenuate the music to safe levels. There is also a full range of specific Musicians hearing products available, custom made in ear monitors and filtered earplugs are designed to keep the full spectrum and sound of the music but attenuate it down to safe level. Their DJ and musician clients rave over the quality of sound. Give Worcester Hearing Centre a call for more information on 01905 617803 speak to Tom, the expert in this field.