Hearing aids are crucial for those experiencing hearing loss. They allow you to maintain your independence and continue enjoying the things you love. However, dealing with traditional hearing aid batteries can be a major inconvenience, especially for those with dexterity issues or who live a busy lifestyle. 

At our Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon hearing centres, we understand these difficulties and are proud to offer a solution: rechargeable hearing aids. Read on to find out more.

Why Rechargeable Hearing Aids?

Traditional hearing aids use disposable batteries, which need to be replaced frequently, typically every 5-14 days depending on usage. This can be particularly challenging for people with arthritis, tremors, or other conditions that affect their hand dexterity. 

Replacing tiny batteries can be fiddly and frustrating. There’s also the constant need to keep a supply of batteries on hand and to dispose of used ones properly.

Rechargeable hearing aids simplify all of this. They come with built-in batteries that can be recharged nightly, just like you would with your mobile phone. This means no more fumbling with tiny batteries or worrying about running out.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids at WS Hearing

We offer a wide range of rechargeable hearing aids at our Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcester clinics, including:

Phonak Slim

Phonak Slim hearing aids are known for their exceptional sound quality and seamless connectivity to smartphones, TVs, and other devices. The Phonak Slim Charger is a compact charger with a sleek appearance that perfectly complements the Phonak Slim, charging the hearing aids in just three hours to offer a full day of hearing.

Oticon Real

Oticon Real gives you the option of 2 types of chargers: Recharge your hearing aids on the go with a built-in power bank with the award winning SmartCharger or the Desktop charger that gives you a full day’s power, every day. Plus, it offers Bluetooth connectivity to all of your devices and Oticon’s accessories like remote microphones to enhance your listening experience.

At our hearing centres in Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, we are committed to helping you find the perfect hearing solution that fits your lifestyle and needs. 

Our team of experienced audiologists will work with you to select the best rechargeable hearing aids for your unique hearing profile. Say goodbye to the hassle of traditional batteries and embrace the convenience and ease of rechargeable hearing aids. 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover the difference that rechargeable hearing aids can make in your life.

In the world of hearing aids, there are numerous options that cater to different needs, lifestyles, and personal preferences. If you prioritise discretion and invisibility in your hearing aid, you’re in luck – our hearing centres in Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon offers some of the best, most discreet hearing aids in the market.

Whether you’re a business professional, an active individual, or someone who simply wants a hearing aid that doesn’t draw attention, our team of experts can help you find the perfect match. Read on to find out more about our top 3 discreet, invisible hearing aids available at our Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon hearing centres.

Phonak Lyric

The Phonak Lyric is the world’s first and only 100% invisible hearing aid that delivers natural sound. It can be worn 24/7 for months at a time and offers a truly immersive hearing experience.

The Lyric is placed deep in the ear canal and uses the natural shape of the ear to amplify sound in a natural and clear way.

Oticon Own

The Oticon Own (Invisible-in-Canal) is a remarkable hearing aid known for its discretion and advanced technology. It’s one of the smallest hearing aids available, fitting comfortably and deep in the ear canal, making it virtually invisible.

With the BrainHearing technology, you get a hearing aid that works more like how your brain works – because it learned through experience.

Widex Moment IIC

The Widex Moment IIC is a highly discreet hearing aid that provides natural and clear sound quality. With its advanced technology, the Moment IIC reduces distortion and delivers a more lifelike listening experience.

The IIC design ensures that the hearing aid sits deep within the ear canal, making it almost invisible to others.

At our hearing centres in Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, we understand that discretion is important to many of our customers, and we are committed to helping you find the right hearing aid to meet your needs. 

Our team of experienced audiologists will work with you to determine which of these invisible hearing aids is the best fit for your unique hearing profile and lifestyle.

Don’t let hearing loss hold you back – reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and discover the difference a discreet, invisible hearing aid can make in your life.

Book a hearing test in Stratford-upon-Avon

Have you been noticing a gradual change in your hearing? Perhaps it’s time to take action. At our award-winning hearing centre in Stratford-upon-Avon, we offer comprehensive hearing tests to assess your hearing health and provide personalised solutions.

Read on to find out more about symptoms of hearing loss and what is involved in our hearing tests.

Signs you may need a hearing test

Hearing loss can creep in subtly, but there are several signs that you might need a hearing test:

• Difficulty understanding conversation, especially in noisy environments
• Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
• Having to turn up the volume on your TV or radio
• A constant ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
• Difficulty hearing on the telephone
• If you experience any of these symptoms, it might be time to book a hearing test.

What to expect at your hearing test appointment

When you visit our hearing centre in Stratford-upon-Avon, here’s what your initial assessment appointment will look like:

• Our friendly reception staff will welcome you into our calming waiting room before your appointment.
• You’ll have a conversation about your hearing and lifestyle with one of our expert audiologists.
• The audiologist will perform a video otoscopy to examine your ear and auditory canal.
• A full audiometric hearing assessment will be conducted.
• The results will be explained, and a discussion will follow about the next steps.

The five stages of the Hearing Test

Our thorough hearing test consists of five stages:

Pure Tone Testing: You’ll listen to a series of tones through headphones and a bone conduction vibrator attached to a headband. The aim is to determine the softest level of pure tones you can detect, which helps us identify your hearing thresholds.

Speech Testing: Words will be presented through headphones, which you’ll need to repeat. This test measures how well you understand speech in quiet and noisy environments, which can help diagnose nerve damage and determine if hearing aids could benefit you.

Tympanometry: An ear tip connected to a machine briefly changes pressure in your ear, measuring the movement of your eardrum and identifying any potential congestion.

Acoustic Reflex: Our ears have a natural reflex that stiffens the eardrum in response to loud noises. This test measures that reflex, using beeps that progressively get louder.

After the Test: You’ll discuss the results and any recommendations with the audiologist. If you are a suitable candidate for hearing aids, we’ll explore potential options with you.

More about our Hearing Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon

Since opening in November 2016, our hearing centre in Stratford-upon-Avon has consistently provided exceptional hearing care. Our contemporary, thoughtfully designed interior reflects our dedication to professional service.

You’ll be greeted by our welcoming staff who prioritise your comfort and well-being, while our state-of-the-art diagnostic assessments and fitting equipment provide unparalleled care. Plus, our custom-built sound booth enables us to conduct detailed hearing tests for accurate diagnoses and personalised treatment plans.

If you’re noticing changes in your hearing, don’t wait. Schedule a hearing test at our Stratford-upon-Avon centre today. It’s the first step towards your journey to better hearing and a better quality of life.

At WS Hearing, we pride ourselves on helping people get back in the conversation and reconnect with the world. We do this with the help of our premium hearing aids. Today, we’d like to shine a spotlight on some of the top Phonak hearing aids we provide.

Read on to find out more about the best Phonak hearing aids we have available at our clinics in Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcester.

The Impact of Phonak Hearing Aids

First, why Phonak?

Phonak are considered to be one of the premium hearing aid manufacturers, and they consistently work to improve their technology. Our customers are very impressed with the benefit that their solutions provide alongside our bespoke hearing care.

Phonak is one of the primary hearing device manufacturers we use because we know that we can trust their quality and reliability. They deliver outstanding solutions for people with all types of hearing loss. They measure their success by the positive impact that their technologies have on people’s ability to communicate in noisy environments.

The top Phonak Hearing Aids of 2023

Phonak Slim

The Phonak Slim is their most discreet hearing aid yet. This device provides exceptional sound quality while being virtually invisible in the ear canal. Built on the Belong platform, the Phonak Slim delivers rich, clear, and full sound quality, allowing for a much more immersive and comprehensive hearing experience.

For people who value aesthetics and discretion, the Phonak Slim is an unbeatable choice. It is designed to sit invisibly in the ear canal, making it virtually indistinguishable from a natural ear. But don’t let its small size fool you, the Phonak Slim packs impressive technology in its tiny frame.

With automatic adaptation to surroundings, the Phonak Slim allows you to enjoy the finest audio quality, regardless of the noise level in your environment. Its advanced noise cancellation feature eliminates background noise to ensure clear communication, whether you are in a crowded restaurant or at a busy workplace.

Phonak Audeo Lumity

The Phonak Audeo Lumity is a rechargeable hearing aid that takes advantage of the advanced sound processing capabilities of the Marvel platform. The primary feature of the Lumity is its SoundSense Adapt technology, which uses artificial intelligence to adapt to changing environments in real time.

Phonak Audéo Life™ Lumity is the second generation of the world’s first waterproof rechargeable hearing aid. Ideal hearing solution for anyone who has an active lifestyle and puts their hearing aids to the test.

Not only does this device offer remarkable sound quality, but it also excels at speech clarity, especially in noisy environments. With the AutoSense OS, the Lumity automatically adjusts its settings based on the soundscapes you are in, allowing for a seamless listening experience.

Moreover, the Audeo Lumity offers a suite of connectivity features. With built-in Bluetooth, it allows for direct streaming from iOS, Android, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. You can enjoy phone calls, music, and TV shows directly through your hearing aid, bringing clarity and richness to your audio experiences.

Phonak Audeo Paradise

Audeo Paradise is the flagship model of Phonak, offering unrivalled sound quality, universal connectivity, and personalised digital solutions. Built on the PRISM sound processing platform, it provides an immersive sound experience with dynamic features.

With Crisp Natural Sound, Paradise allows users to enjoy the subtleties of sound in all their glory. Whether it’s the crunch of leaves underfoot, the pitter-patter of rain on the window, or the soft murmur of loved ones, the Paradise helps users truly revel in the richness of sound.

Its unique Speech Enhancer technology boosts speech understanding by amplifying soft-level speech sounds in a quiet environment. Plus, with the Personalized Noise Cancelling feature, you can adjust the noise cancellation to your preference, ensuring you have the most comfortable and clear listening experience.

Furthermore, the Audeo Paradise supports seamless connection with virtually all Bluetooth-enabled devices, and with the myPhonak app, you can personalise your hearing preferences and access real-time hearing aid adjustment.

Why WS Hearing?

Understanding that every person’s hearing needs are unique, our team of experienced audiologists is always on hand to guide you in choosing the most suitable device for you. We provide comprehensive hearing tests and personalised fittings to ensure your Phonak hearing aid offers the best possible hearing experience.

We understand that private hearing care can be considered expensive, but the on-going service required to keep your ears maintained and devices programmed efficiently can’t always be appreciated until it is required.

Our bespoke patient care plans are tailored to your needs and include the most suitable technology for you. Delivering you everything you need to benefit from your hearing aids, that would likely cost up to £510 per year if you purchased hearing aids from other providers.

Whether you value discretion, connectivity, or high sound quality, we offer Phonak hearing aids to cater to all your needs. Get in touch today to book your consultation, and experience the difference for yourself.

Treating hearing loss can help you keep your New Year’s resolutions

The new year is here, and with it come all the new years resolutions. Making these resolutions comes easy, the challenge is making sure they don’t melt away with the snow as winter turns to spring.

Some resolutions might include stress management, spending quality time with friends and family, and doing more social activities or hobbies. For those who struggle with hearing loss, keeping these and other similar resolutions can be difficult. Treating your hearing loss in 2023 can help you achieve your resolutions and improve your life, here is how:

Stress management

Hearing related stress can make every day life challenging. It can present itself if you have to constantly ask people to repeat themselves in conversation, avoiding crowded or loud situations or even travelling. Finding a solution can help you hear better in these situations, therefore reducing some of your daily stress.

Social activities & hobbies

Thinking about volunteering work or joining a club but have been too self-conscious about your hearing loss? Don’t let your hearing loss keep you from making new friends and experience new adventures in the coming year. Likewise, starting a new hobby, whether by yourself or in a group setting, can be challenging. Having the confidence to address your hearing issues can lead to new talents and friends.

Quality time with friends & family

If being able to stay in touch with loved ones is a priority, addressing your hearing concerns can be a step in the right direction. Being able to communicate easily in person, over the phone or over zoom, will help put your mind at ease.

Visit Worcester & Stratford Hearing Centres

If being healthier was on your new year’s resolutions, take a few small steps towards healthy hearing too. Seeking help, advice and ultimately treating your hearing loss will benefit your quality of life.

Whether you have hearing aids or you’ve never even had a hearing test before, at Worcester & Stratford Hearing Centres we will look after all your hearing needs, from your initial assessment to fittings and continued bespoke care.

Have you ever attempted to ignore a toothache? They can be rather tough. At some point, you’re unquestionably begging to go to the dentist.

The same thing takes place when your eyesight begins to blur. You’ll probably call an ophthalmologist when you begin to have trouble reading street signs.

But the problem is, when your hearing begins to go you might not show such urgency.

Untreated hearing loss can be responsible for significant health problems (specifically mental health problems). Naturally, you can only ignore your diminishing hearing if you’re actually aware of it. And there’s the second problem.

Signs you might be experiencing hearing loss

We typically don’t appreciate our hearing. A high volume music festival? No worry. Blaring ear pods? You like to listen to your podcasts like this. But your overall hearing will be substantially affected by each of these decisions, particularly in the long run.

It can, regrettably, be hard to detect these impacts. Hearing loss can sneak up on you gradually, with symptoms that advance so slowly as to be essentially invisible. 

That’s why it’s important to be familiar with some primary red flags (and to deal with them sooner than later):

• Your short term memory tends to suddenly fail occasionally
• You have an especially difficult time making out consonants when listening to everyday speech
• It’s difficult to understand conversations in noisy or crowded environments
• You have a hard time falling asleep at night and feel tired for no apparent reason
• Voices of those around you (family, co-workers, friends) sounds dull or distorted
• You always need to turn up the volume on your devices
• You frequently have to ask people to repeat themselves

If your hearing loss comes on especially slowly, your brain will instantly begin to compensate for it, making you somewhat unaware, at first, to your symptoms. 

That is the reason why all of these warning signs should be taken seriously.

What happens if you ignore your hearing loss?

Your relationships could be negatively affected: When you have a difficult time comprehending what your friends and relatives are saying, something can change in the relationship: you start having fewer conversations with them. You quit saying hi, you quit checking in, you pull away. Some of those relationships will be damaged, particularly if the issue is hearing loss that you have kept secret (and not some unexpressed bitterness).

You could cause your hearing to get worse: If you don’t use hearing aids or increased hearing protection, you’ll keep cranking the volume on your television up. Or you’ll keep going to rock concerts without any earplugs. And your hearing will keep declining as you continue to do damage to your ears.

Depression and cognitive decline: You may start to discover symptoms of depression as your relationships are affected and socialising gets more challenging. You might also start to go through some mental decline without the auditory activation your brain is used to, your neural physiology starts to experience specific changes. This can lead to long term cognitive problems if your hearing loss isn’t dealt with.

Audiologist Advice:

If you suspect you might have hearing loss, don’t ignore it. The longer you leave it, the worse it gets.

Don’t suffer in silence. Book an appointment for an Initial Assessment at Worcester & Stratford Hearing Centres and find out how we can help you on your journey to better hearing. 

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

Understanding all the facets of your hearing loss help us to provide better solutions and outcomes for you.

We believe that the hearing test is a hugely important part of choosing a solution for someone with hearing loss. It seems obvious, the hearing test forms the basis of everything moving forward. The question though, is how comprehensive should that test be? What test processes should we do and what information will that give us. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain what we do, why we do it and why it matters to you.

Pure Tone Hearing Testing

The basic pure-tone test, the beeps and whistles, the one everyone is familiar with, tells us about your ability to hear a sound. While that is the defined starting point for the prescription of amplification, it doesn’t tell us anything about how you hear speech or more importantly speech in noise.

Speech Testing

In a more comprehensive hearing assessment, we always undertake speech testing. Speech testing helps us understand how you process and understand speech. Speech testing in quiet allows us to understand your speech discrimination at different levels of sound. Speech in Noise testing which is called QuickSIN or quick speech in noise testing tells us a lot about how you process and understand speech in noise.

We have always believed that your ability to understand speech in noise is key information when it comes to choosing a hearing solution. That was brought home to us recently again with one of of our customers.

Typical Hearing Loss

We had a customer in recently who reported the typical problems associated with hearing loss. One to one conversation was okay once the person was within their field of vision. It could get a bit difficult if the person was behind them though. However, once there was any noise present, it became almost impossible to hold a conversation.

Upon pure-tone testing, we found that he had a not untypical presbyacusis (age-related) hearing loss. While his ability to hear low-frequency sounds were good, he had a moderate hearing loss in the high-frequency area. Taking this information only, it would appear that a relatively decent level of hearing aid technology would do the job quite well.

Real Problems With Noise

The customer particularly liked to eat out with his wife, he also loved to attend a local active retirement group. The active retirement group would often have quite interesting presenters give talks on different topics. He said that he had almost given up on these activities because his ability to hear and understand was almost nil.

Upon undertaking the speech testing and speech in noise testing we discovered that he had a  huge problem with understanding speech in noise and that his speech discrimination was worse than could be expected considering his hearing loss.

A Better Solution

This latest information changed and formed our thoughts about the solution that would help him re-engage in his life. It also better formed our explanation of the outcomes that he could expect. Let me explain, his speech discrimination score meant that amplification would help him quite a bit. However, it wouldn’t completely, 100% increase his ability to hear every sound in every word.

His speech in noise scores meant that he needed more than just hearing aids to hear well in noisy situations. He would also need some sort of assistive device to give him an extra boost of speech intelligibility in order for him to get the best out of these types of situations.

He decided to go with a set of hearing aids with a remote microphone. The remote microphone in question could act as both a simple remote mic, clipped to someone’s collar and a desk or table mic. This offered the best versatility and met his needs well.

The Restaurant

When going to restaurants with his wife, she can wear the rather discreet remote microphone around her neck. This allows him to clearly hear her voice directly in his hearing aids, giving him the optimum chance to understand what she says. When he is with a group, he can put the mic on the middle of the table and it helps him to understand the conversation.

The Active Retirement Group

In the active retirement group situations, the remote mic can be used in the same manner. The presenter can wear it clipped to their collar during presentations and during a group conversation, the mic can be placed on the middle of the table.

Why it Matters

These are important areas of his life, they are important for his social activity and therefore his general well being. They allow him to feel active and relevant, something that is important to everyone. The use of his hearing aids combined with the remote mic has successfully allowed him to do the things he loves to do.

He now can hear quite well in many situations, sometimes he still has problems (considering his speech discrimination, that isn’t unusual), but generally, he gets on well. He is active and happy, more importantly, he feels engaged.

A Comprehensive Test

We wouldn’t have seen the need to provide a complete solution for this customer if we did not truly understand his ability to hear. That is why a comprehensive test involving speech testing is important. It allows both us and you to completely understand your hearing and your needs. That way, we can offer a solution that really works for you.

In finishing, it’s always important to have a comprehensive hearing test, it will give complete clarity on your hearing and your needs.

There are several solutions for TV listening for people with hearing loss, even without hearing aids

We often hear from people we see that hearing the TV at a normal volume level can be difficult at best. It is a source of real frustration for everyone involved. If the person with hearing loss turns the volume up in an effort to hear better, everyone else in the family finds it far too loud. It may seem like a small thing, but watching TV is a family social situation and it brings people together.

Direct Connection Makes it Easy

New direct connection Bluetooth hearing aids make listening to the TV so much easier. Nearly all of the hearing aid brands have their own TV connector box. You simply connect it to your TV audio out, plug it in and it streams audio directly to your hearing aids in crystal clear stereo.

The new devices mean that you can hear the TV direct in your hearing aids, giving you the optimum clarity. It also means that you can control your own volume while others in the room can listen at the volume that they are most comfortable with.

The new system doesn’t cut you off from the people who are with you, your hearing aids can be set to mix the sound you hear with audio from the TV and your surroundings. That means you get to hear your favourite programmes with ease and comfort while still being able to converse with your family.

No Hearing Aids? Try This

If you are having problems hearing your TV but you don’t wear hearing aids, there are a couple of things you can try. The first thing is to look at the audio set up on your TV. In your sound menu there should be an audio pre-set that is weighted towards clear speech. It can be called many different things but will probably include the word speech.

If your sound menu has a type of graphic equaliser or just bass and treble, lower the bass a bit and higher the treble. In essence, this is what we do with hearing aids, although it is a little more complicated than that. If neither of these strategies help, look around for a good soundbar.

Soundbars & TV Speakers

Most modern flat-screen TVs have the speakers facing backwards, the idea is to gain a bit more sound by bouncing it off the wall. In general, most flat-screen TVs have pretty rubbish speakers one way or the other. A good soundbar facing out towards the room can help direct the sound better, they usually have some pretty good pre-sets for speech clarity as well.

Still Having Problems?

If you are still having problems understanding the TV even with menu changes or a soundbar, it really is time to get a hearing test. Often not being able to hear the TV clearly at normal volume is a clear sign that there is a problem with your hearing.

If you are interested in the latest direct connection hearing aids and their accessories, or if you are worried about your hearing, call us on 01905 617803 to book an appointment, we are happy to help.

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