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Sounds of Summer!

Don’t let hearing loss ruin your summer!

Summer is on the way! With the arrival of longer, lighter days, we can spend more time outdoors with family and friends.

Listening to the music of laughter during weekends in the park, Sunday barbecues and garden parties comes the promise of new memories.

We make holiday plans and dream of lying on sundrenched beaches while the sound of waves crashing play on the shore.

Summer is the time to kiss goodbye to those winter blues and rejuvenate, reflect and reconnect with the world around us.

Senior couple holding hands on the beach

But for those who have hearing loss, these extra social activities and interactions can seem daunting.

And, with more time spent outdoors background noise can make it difficult to hear and enjoy talking with family and friends.

We know that this can somewhat dim the excitement summer brings and cause frustration and anxiety.

At Hear Better With Us, we want to help you embrace all the opportunities that summer brings and enjoy them with your loved ones.

We do not want you to miss out on those powerful sounds of nature such as birds singing, water flowing and crickets chirping that help us to relax and unwind.

woman traveler with small orange backpack on a walk in the Valley of the river of Hveragerdi Iceland. Hiking Tour of Reykjadalur Hot Springs

That is why, we make it as easy and simple as possible for you to take your first step towards better hearing with our free comprehensive hearing assessment.

During this assessment we carry out detailed tests to establish the degree of your hearing loss, look at what could be causing your hearing loss and establish how it is affecting you and your lifestyle.

Based on these findings, we will present to you the best possible plan for improving and caring for your hearing.

If hearing aids are one of the options, we will offer you the opportunity to trial the most suitable and advanced hearing aids for your needs.

However, at Hear Better With Us, we understand that the degree of benefit hearing aids provide is ultimately down to your individual experience and expectations.

And, with our two-week free trial period, you gain the opportunity to understand and experience first-hand how hearing aids can improve your lifestyle before making any commitments.

During the two-week trial period, we will be on hand to support you with your hearing aids and at the end of the two-week period, we will consult with you to learn how you got on.

If you feel hearing aids work for you, we will continue to support you with our five-year aftercare plan.

On the other hand, if you decide you are not quite ready to make this step yet, that’s fine too – we will continue to monitor your hearing health with our free annual hearing health checks.

Hear Better With Us is based at 1 Oaks Precinct, Kenilworth, CV8 1DP and operates on an appointment only basis.

Bookings can be made by phone on 0330 133 0655 or by email info@hearbetterwithus.co.uk.

 

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Our audiologist, Khiyam scoops award for running football club aimed at children in disadvantaged communities

Kenilworth audiologist scoops award for running football club aimed at children in disadvantaged communities

Khiyam Hussain has received a Community Champion award (image supplied)
Khiyam Hussain has received a Community Champion award
 

Kenilworth audiologist and founder of Hear Better With Us, Khiyam Hussain received a Community Champion award from The Aston Villa Foundation in recognition of his dedication to improving the lives of young people since 2016.

Khiyam’s sports academy, Real Aston, aims to encourage local girls and boys in disadvantaged communities participate in healthy, positive, social activity which improves well-being and strengthens community bonds.

His grassroots football club currently competes in the central Warwickshire league.

Each year, The Aston Villa Foundation offers fans and local people the opportunity to nominate individuals who make a positive contribution to their local community and inspire others.

This year, each winner was invited to the club stadium to receive their award and were treated to lunch and private seating to watch Aston Villa play.

Khiyam said: “It was really rewarding to be recognised for my work by receiving this award and it meant all that much more because I was nominated by members of the community to receive it.

“The whole experience at the Aston Villa stadium was wonderful too!”

 

Khiyam is also expanded his community work in Kenilworth

Recently, Khiyam has expanded his community work to utilise his skills as an audiologist.

On 22 May 2024, Hear Better With Us will be running its second free hearing aid support clinic.

The clinic is open to anyone with hearing aids or hearing loss who needs help, including NHS patients.

Khiyam explained: “We are also planning on starting a hearing loss support group soon too.

“It will be an opportunity for people to meet other people who understand hearing loss and who can support each other and share knowledge and information.

“And enjoy some tea and cakes too!”

Hear Better With Us is based in the Oaks Precinct, Kenilworth and offers hearing services such as ear wax removal, free hearing tests and hearing aids.

You can contact them on 0330 133 0655 or via info@hearbetterwithus.co.uk.

 

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Free Hearing Aid Support Clinic

On Wednesday 17th April, Hear Better With Us will be running their free Hearing Aid Support Clinic at their premises in the Oaks Precinct, Kenilworth.

Hear Better With Us is in their fourth year of helping the community of Kenilworth and Warwickshire hear better. Director Khiyam explains “People often experience issues with their hearing aids but in many cases, the solution to the problem is quite simple. However, as NHS waiting times can reach over 6 weeks, people often go weeks without their hearing aid device. This can be very frustrating because it makes it difficult to communicate or to enjoy social gatherings, music or television. As such, I believe that a local support service such as this is much needed”.

The clinic is open to anyone with hearing aids who needs help, including NHS patients.

If you have hearing aids that have been relegated to the kitchen drawer, you’d be well advised to give Hear Better with Us a visit!  Khiyam informs us “there are many reasons why people don’t wear their hearing aids but, in many cases, it may be a programming issue or a fitting issue which could be easily resolved”.

Khiyam, who has just been selected as a Community Champion by the Aston Villa FC Foundation for his work helping the disadvantaged youth of Birmingham is no stranger to this type of work, having previously worked with the Royal National Institute of Deaf People running similar clinics across the Midlands.

Khiyam tells us that “over the years, I have grown to love the community vibe in Kenilworth and how the people support each other here”.  “Being a health care professional, it is only natural for me to want to help the community and release pressure from the NHS, if I can. If we can help even one person who is struggling with their hearing aids, I’ll be elated”.

At the clinic, Hear Better With Us will be helping to troubleshoot hearing aid issues, replacing batteries and tubes, and offering general advice on using and caring for your hearing aids. And, refreshments will be provided! You can book your slot with them now by calling 0330 133 0655.

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The role of ear wax and how to take better care of your ears

Ear wax plays an important part in keeping our ears healthy.

It protects our ears from dust, debris and bacteria and keeps our ears moisturised.

Our ears also have a clever self-cleaning mechanism, whereby the old wax is gradually pushed out of the ear.

However, sometimes we build up too much ear wax and this can cause adverse side effects.

  • This may happen to you if you:
  • Have narrow or damaged ear canals
  • Have lots of hair in your ear canals
  • Have had an infection, allergy or flu
  • Naturally produce a lot of ear wax

Symptoms of a build-up of ear wax include:

  • Earache, pain or discomfort
  • Feeling of fullness in the ear
  • Ringing or noises in the ear (tinnitus)
  • Hearing loss
  • Dizziness
  • Itchiness in the ear
  • Odour or discharge in the ear

 

Ear care is essential to keep our ears healthy.

Here are my top five tips for caring for your ears:

1. Avoid Cotton Swabs – despite common belief, inserting cotton swabs or other objects into the ear canal can push earwax deeper and lead to impacted wax or injury.

2. Ear Wax Softeners – if you experience a wax build-up, over-the-counter earwax softeners can help soften the wax and help it fall out naturally.

3. Professional Cleaning – in cases of persistent earwax blockage or if you are prone to a build-up of wax or experiencing discomfort or pain, you should seek professional assistance. At Hear Better With Us we remove ear wax safely and effectively using microcusuction.

Microsuction is one of the safest methods to clean the ear. We examine your ear canal using a microscope as this makes it easier for us to assess and treat ear wax. A suction device is then used to clean the ear without using any water.

4. Protect Your Ears – use ear protection in noisy environments to prevent excessive wax production triggered by the ear’s natural defence mechanism against loud sounds.

5. Regular Check-ups – if you are prone to ear wax, we suggest three to six monthly check-ups to monitor your ear health and address any concerns promptly.

Taking care of your ears and seeking professional health care advice when needed can help prevent ear infections and hearing loss and help maintain healthy ears.

 

Hear Better With Us offers ear wax removal via microsuction from £40 for one ear.

The Oaks Precinct business also offers free 15-minute hearing health checks.

Hear Better With Us is based at 1 Oaks Precinct, Kenilworth, CV8 1DP and operates on an appointment only basis.

Bookings can be made by phone on 0330 133 0655 or by email info@hearbetterwithus.co.uk.

Or find out more on the website here.

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Hearing loss can increase risk of dementia

“Hearing loss the most significant potentially reversible risk factor for dementia” – Royal National Institute for Deaf People

One in five adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus – that’s about 12 million people.

Hearing loss is now so common that approximately 40 per cent of adults over 50 experience some degree of hearing loss and that figure rises to 70 per cent for people over 70.

However, a large proportion of people do not seek support for their hearing loss.

Many view hearing loss as an integral part of ageing that they need to get on with, others may not realise they have a hearing loss and some find it hard to admit to their symptoms.

However, I believe that a major contributor in the hesitancy to seek support for hearing loss is a lack of awareness of the importance of doing so.

Risks associated with untreated hearing loss

Leading health organisations such as The Royal National Institute of Deaf People and the Alzhemier’s Society have warned that even a mild hearing loss can double the risk of dementia, and a moderate hearing loss can triple it.

Untreated hearing loss can also be associated with difficulty communicating, depression, anxiety, social isolation, cognitive problems and a higher risk of falls.

Hearing loss can also affect employability.

Causes of hearing loss

Causes of hearing loss may include, viral infections, ear Infections, a build up of ear wax, exposure to noise, trauma and age-related hearing loss.