Tea for Tinnitus

Do you suffer from ringing in your ears?

Ringing in the ears or tinnitus, as it is medically known, is often described as a hissing, buzzing, chirping, whistling or a humming noise. Tinnitus is not a disease or illness, but is thought to be caused within a person’s own auditory pathway. About 10 per cent of adults in the UK experience mild tinnitus but up to one per cent have tinnitus that affects their quality of life.

Tea for Tinnitus – Tinnitus Awareness Week 8th – 14th February

The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) are a charity and world leader in providing support and advice about tinnitus. This year sees them celebrate their 10th anniversary of Tinnitus Awareness Week by launching their Tea for Tinnitus campaign.

Tinnitus Awareness Week 2016

Come along to your local event

The local Bournemouth Tinnitus Support Group are holding a Tea for Tinnitus event at Sunrise Senior Living, 42 Belle Vue Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth BH6 3DS on Friday 12th February at 2pm.

Members of the support group including Keeley Salmon, a hearing care professional from Key to Hearing, will be on hand to provide advice about tinnitus, tinnitus management and prevention.

Come along and have a chat whilst enjoying some delicious sandwiches, cakes and entertainment. Sunrise Senior Living are kingly providing a complimentary high tea so in return the Bournemouth Tinnitus Group are asking for a donation to the BTA. Every penny raised will make a difference by helping to pay for the support the BTA provide and their important medical research into causes and treatments for the condition.

Please telephone Ian Warren at Sunrise Senior Living to book your place on 01202 437600.

Tea for Tinnitus Bournemouth

Local tinnitus support group members describe how tinnitus effects their day to day lives

You may be surprised to learn that 10% of the UK population experience tinnitus. A tenth of these people report that tinnitus has severe effects on their quality of life. Tinnitus is defined as a noise in the head or ears which has no external sound source.

Did you know there are currently 61 British Tinnitus Association (BTA) support groups across the country for those who experience or know someone who is affected by tinnitus? Our local club is the Bournemouth and District Tinnitus Group of which Keeley has been a member since 2012 and has more recently been appointed role of Chairperson.

Recently the group had an interesting meeting where the members talked about their own experiences with tinnitus. Find out more below.

Describe the sound of your tinnitus?

Bleeps that come and go. Hissing. Swooshing. A low pitch drumming. The ringing of about three tiny metal bells. Like I’m driving down the M23 with the driver window open 1/4”. The hiss of a deep fat fryer. Squeaks and squeals. Buzzing noises. Similar to the sounds you hear when having a hearing test.

To your knowledge, does anything affect your tinnitus? E.g. food, drink, noise?

Tea or coffee in the evening. Caffeine. Red wine. White wine. Stress. Tiredness. Loud traffic noise. Dehydration. Dairy foods. I’m lucky as nothing seems to worsen my tinnitus. Anxiety.

How does your tinnitus make you feel?

Tired. Frustrated. Why have I got this noise? It affects my hearing and my concentration. I worry that my tinnitus may get louder in future. Stressed. Isolated. It doesn’t bother me. It irritates me and I find it annoying. Intrusive. It concerns my partner as they do not like to see me suffer. I sometimes feel I would just like five minutes’ relief.

Are there any methods you use to help manage your tinnitus?

I try to ignore it and distract myself. Keep myself busy/occupied. Relaxation breathing exercises. Tell myself it is not there—mind over matter! Avoid noisy places. Tai-chi. Hearing aids. Gardening. It doesn’t bother me anymore. Add background noise e.g. have the radio on. The support group is therapeutic, it’s good to know I’m not alone with this noise. Yoga. I use a pillow speaker as my sleep can be disturbed by my tinnitus. Reading. Conversation—it distracts me from my tinnitus. I’m lucky my tinnitus seems to stop after a short while. Singing in a choir.

Results from recent BTA Survey

Tinnitus can affect people in so many different ways. For some tinnitus has a mild impact on their lives but for others it can be very distressing. The BTA recently carried out a small survey on the effectiveness of tinnitus support groups and produced a booklet with the results. The survey highlighted that for some attending a support group was a considerable benefit. These attendees saw improvements in emotional health and wellbeing, a greater understanding of the condition and how to manage their tinnitus on a day-to-day basis.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like some further advice on tinnitus or are interested in joining the Bournemouth Tinnitus Group or click the link to learn more about tinnitus solutions.

Update on hearing aid batteries now mercury free

As of the 1st October 2015 the hearing care industry has adopted a move to Mercury Free battery solutions in line with the European Directive to help reduce polluting the environment.

What you need to know

• Hearing aid battery manufacturers now only supply mercury free batteries
• We have now started to supply mercury free batteries to you
• Mercury free batteries can be used in all hearing aids
• Running time for mercury free batteries is the same as standard batteries
• Any batteries containing mercury can be used until they have run out.

Click the link to find out more about hearing aid batteries.

Unitron North and Phonak Venture Launch

This year has seen both Unitron and Phonak launch their latest hearing devices to much acclaim.

Unitron North

Unitron’s latest devices are on their new North operating system and feature a series of aesthetically pleasing designs. Their latest Moxi Fit receiver in the canal model has recently received a prestigious 2015 Red Dot Award for product design.

Hearing conversations in background noise is the biggest challenge for hearing device wearers. The North platform specifically targets some of these areas. Unitron’s new SoundNav automatic program offers precise classification of seven different environments, four of which are conversational based. Each conversation comes with its own unique set of background sounds, with the Unitron North product range you can effortlessly enjoy conversations no matter what your situation.

With Unitron Flex we offer you the opportunity to test drive Unitron’s products. We fit you with the latest technology at a level of your choosing and you wear the devices in your day to day life. If you love the benefits of the hearing devices we simply order you your own pair. Another great feature of the Unitron software is the ability to be able to upgrade your existing devices in the future if you would like some extra help in challenging situations.

Phonak Venture

The sounds around you change constantly and vary not only in loudness and type but also in the mix and predominance of one sound over another. Phonak’s latest Venture platform features their new AutoSense operating system specifically developed to help you hear what is important to you. AutoSense is able to accurately capture and analyse sounds in real time to precisely match your exact listening environments. Regardless of your whereabouts your hearing aids will automatically and seamlessly adapt in real time to optimise your settings based on your listening environment.

The feedback from our customers who have been fitted with this technology has been great. If you are interested in trying the latest technology or are looking to upgrade your existing Phonak or Unitron hearing devices then give us a call to book a demonstration.

Hearing Aids Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline

A long term study has shown that for people with a reduced hearing range, wearing hearing devices reduces the cognitive decline associated with hearing loss. A 25-year study recently published in an American journal compared the path of cognitive decline among older adults who were using hearing devices and those who were not. The study found that those people who would have benefited from hearing devices, but did not wear them, were more likely to score lower on a well-established cognitive function exam conducted during the 25-year follow-up period.

The study shows the importance of looking after your hearing and making sure that it is the best it can possibly be. At Key to Hearing we recommend annual hearing evaluations so you have evidence if and when your hearing range changes. Without this proof it can often be difficult to notice when you are missing out on the sounds you used to hear.

Contact us if you would like to book an evaluation.

References

[Oticon]: First Study to Show Hearing Aids Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline: [http://www.oticon.com/about/press/2015/pressrelease-reduce-risk-of-cognitive-decline]