Posts

New report on deafness therapy 

/in , /by

New report on deafness therapy

New report in deafness therapy has been reported by a new scientific paper. Here at the Keynsham hearing centre are keen to keep up with the latest information to keep our patients informed.

Below is what was reported by the hearing review recently. 

High-pressure Oxygen Therapy May Help Treat Sudden Deafness, Says ‘JAMA’ Study

   

Keynsham hearing centre deafness experts

Bottom Line: The addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (where patients receive pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber) to standard medical treatment was associated with an improved likelihood that patients who experience sudden deafness might recover all or some of their lost hearing, JAMA Network announced on its website. Sudden deafness, also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), is hearing loss that happens within a few days and often has no identifiable cause. This study combined the results of 19 studies, including three randomised clinical trials, and suggests a greater benefit of adding the hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be associated with those patients who have severe to profound hearing loss and who failed to recover after standard medical treatment. A limitation of this study is that because a substantial number of patients with SSNHL will spontaneously recover, the benefits of treatment may not have been accurately evaluated.

For earwax removal in Wiltshire please try our colleague in Devizes 

Authors: Tae-Min Rhee, MD, DMO/UMO, National Maritime Medical Center, Changwon, Republic of Korea, and coauthors.

Original Paper: Rhee T-M, Hwang D, Lee J-S, Park J, Lee JM. Addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy vs medical therapy alone for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2704029

Source: JAMA Network, JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

2020 Oticon hearing aids available in Bristol

/in /by

2020 Oticon hearing aids available in Bristol

2020 Oticon hearing aids available in Bristol at the Keynsham hearing centre near near Bath

Oticon hearing products are at the vanguard of hearing technology. Their hearing aids really are at the cutting edge of what is available today that can help anyone with hearing loss. We at the Keynsham Hearing Centre are proud to offer Oticon hearing aids and would be very happy to advise which type & model would suit your hearing loss. We also stock and procure the top world wide manufacturers of hearing aids and hearing products. We are not tied to sell one main manufacturers hearing aids.

As an independent hearing company and not tied to any manufacturer, we will only advise what hearing aid is best suited to your hearing loss and budget. Be assured we only have your hearing in mind, and not a target to sell so many hearing aids per month.

If you feel you may need a hearing test we offer appointments throughout the day and week. Please call to make a hearing appointment or ear wax removal appointment.

Keynhsam Hearing News

Oticon Xceed and RemoteCare Named as Honourees in CES 2020 Innovation Awards

Oticon Xceed with ON app, Keynsham hearing centre near Bath and Bristol

Oticon announced that the Consumer Electronics Association (CES) has named Oticon Xceed and Oticon RemoteCare as honourees in the CES 2020 Innovation Awards. The international awards program annually selects the best of the best in consumer electronics. Oticon Xceed, said to be “the world’s most powerful hearing aid,” earned honours in the Health & Wellness category.  Oticon RemoteCare, a new e-health solution that will help enable hearing care professionals to provide aftercare service to their patients (to be released in 2020), was honoured in the Tech for a Better World category.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Oticon has been recognised by this international awards program.  The two newest awards bring to 10 the number of times Oticon has received CES Innovation Awards, including three top-ranked Best of Innovation category wins.

“We are extremely proud to have Oticon Xceed and Oticon RemoteCare honoured by the Consumer Electronics Association,” said Oticon President Gary Rosenblum. “Our ability to consistently stand out in a competition that includes some of the world’s most cutting-edge consumer technology products and services underscores Oticon’s commitment to develop hearing technology that makes a real difference in people’s lives.”

Bath hearing centre 

Oticon Xceed features a new approach to hearing care for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss that is said to help deliver better speech clarity and better short-term recall while reducing the listening effort this patient population struggles with in most situations every day.

Keynsham hearing centre near Bath and Bristol

Oticon Xceed

According to Oticon, Xceed is the “first super- and ultra-power hearing aid with OpenSound Navigator and OpenSound Optimiser, BrainHearing technologies that support more access to speech.” The technology in Xceed reportedly “empowers hearing care professionals to deliver industry-leading optimal output and gain—146dB SPL and 87 dB full on gain—without the high risk of feedback.”

Convenient Follow-up Care Benefits Practitioner and Patient

When launched in 2020, Oticon says its RemoteCare will “facilitate easier access to the personalised care that qualified hearing care practitioners provide and that hearing aid wearers require,” helping to allow hearing care professionals to provide optimal support for their patients at a mutually convenient time. RemoteCare will also help provide hearing care professionals and patients with easy access to follow-up appointments, especially convenient during the first days and weeks with new hearing aids. The Oticon RemoteCare App also helps enables data communication between the users’ hearing aids and the hearing care professional via a stable Internet connection, the company says. Hearing care practitioners can help make necessary adjustments in real time—just as if the patient was in the clinic—and receive immediate feedback.

Bristol hearing centre

“By providing a global showcase for our newest hearing technology, prestigious awards like the CES Innovation Awards help us to show the world the wide-ranging possibilities of modern hearing technology to improve not only hearing, but quality of life,” said Rosenblum.

To learn more about Oticon Xceed, visit: www.oticon.com/xceed.  For more information on the comprehensive Oticon product portfolio, visit: www.oticon.com.

Source: Oticon

Images: Oticon

Bath hearing aid centre

/in , /by

Bath hearing aid centre

It has been estimated that only 1-in-5 people who need a hearing aid wears one.

Audiologist Stephen Neal of The Keynsham hearing centre, thinks that is unfortunate.

He has been fitting people with hearing aids for more than 20 years and says today’s technology has something for just about everyone’s hearing loss.

Hearing centre Bath

He says hearing aids now are smaller and can be regulated more discreetly and that the computer chips inside them recognise different sound types and can be programmed to adjust volume accordingly as well as to meet an individual’s specific hearing needs.

Blue Tooth technology allows for direct streaming of sound into the ears from smartphones and other devices and, he adds, always improving applications from manufacturers enable those phones to act as remote controls in adjusting volume and sound in a variety of settings as well.

“Sometimes people have the idea that there is nothing that can be done for them. They might feel their hearing is not bad enough or they might feel like their hearing is so bad that nothing can be done,”

Ear wax removal Bath Somerset

“Sometimes I find they were told 40 years ago, hearing aids won’t help you. If there is anyone who heard that, that is not true today. The technology can fit a wide range of hearing losses from mild to profound and, if it gets to the point where hearing aids don’t do the trick, we refer people for a cochlear implant and they can have that and that technology continues to get better, too.”

Stephen Neal is available for hearing consultations and ear wax removal. Please call reception and speak with Anita.

Ear wax removal Bristol

/in , , /by

Ear wax removal Bristol

 

Ear wax removal Bristol by Stephen Neal the local audiologist covering Bristol and Bath.

 

Stephen Neal ear wax specialist based in Keynsham located between Bath and Bristol is the West country leading ear wax remover. Using Microsuction, or the traditional water irrigation method (ear syringing), the wax removal is painless, simple and effective. With 1000’s of satisfied customers Stephen knows how to make you feel at ease and relaxed.

 

To see Stephen in action and to watch ear wax removal using Microsuction click here to see the video.

 

Stephen Neal works with his wife Anita making the company a family run affair and totally independent.  The difference between a large company and a local family run company is we make you feel you are wanted and valued rather than just a number.  We  love to see new clients and our existing clients hearing clearer and wax free. If you need ear wax removing in Bristol or Bath book your appointment soon.

Ear wax removal Bristol

 

 

Stephen Neal News:

 

Phonak Marvel Receives Gold Stevie Award, Named ‘Innovation of the Year’

Stevie Awards

Phonak announced its Marvel hearing aid solution has won a Gold Stevie Award and was named Innovation of the Year—Consumer Products Industries in the 2019 International Business Awards. According to comments obtained from judges, the multifunctional hearing solution received top honors for being “the world’s first hearing aid to combine universal Bluetooth connectivity, lithium-ion rechargeability, and top-rated sound quality into a single device.” The Gold Stevie marks the fourth major product honor awarded to Phonak Marvel this year, placing it among the company’s most highly-awarded products ever, according to Phonak.

iba19_gold_winner

“We are thrilled that Phonak Marvel has received a Gold Stevie award and was named an Innovation of the Year,” said Martin Grieder, Group Vice President, hearing instruments marketing. “Marvel truly is the culmination of so many of our innovations into one product—including rechargeability, universal Bluetooth connectivity, Binaural VoiceStream Technology, and various eSolutions, just to name a few. All this technology works together to produce clear, rich sound quality from the very first fit.”

The Gold Stevie award is the latest product honor awarded to Phonak Marvel this year. In June, Marvel received the 2019 MedTech Breakthrough Award for its ability to fully support stereo audio streaming from Android and iOS devices. Also in June, Phonak eSolutions, optimized for Marvel, was the winner of the 2019 Mobile Business Awards. Phonak Marvel also received a Silver Edison Award in April and was named a 2019 CES Innovation Award Honoree in January.

A record total of more than 4,000 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Company of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Startup of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others.

Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 250 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process from May through early August, according to Phonak’s announcement.

For more information about Phonak Marvel, visit: www.phonak.com. Details about The International Business Awards and the lists of Stevie Award winners are available at: www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Source: Phonak, International Business Awards

Images: International Business Awards

 

 

Bristol ear wax removal

/in /by

Bristol ear wax removal

 

Bristol ear wax removal at the Keynsham hearing centre near Bristol and Bath. Ear wax removal doesn’t have to be a pain. The Keynsham hearing centre are specialist at ear syringing for the Bristol area including Bath, Radstock and Frome. Using the gold standard Micro-Suction technique, your ears will be cleared of wax in no time at all. Painless, easy and quickly without fuss. Keynsham ear wax removal covers all areas of Somerset. If Micro-Suction isn’t what you like then we have the traditional ear syringing method of water irrigating the ear to remove the ear wax. Which ever takes your fancy we can remove ear wax in minutes.

Call reception and speak with Anita, she will book your appointment and Stephen Neal will be the person who you will be doing the wax removal procedure.

Click here to see how Microsuction works at the Keynsham hearing centre.

Book early as we do get busy at times through the year!

Depression and Hearing link, Bristol

/in /by

Depression and Hearing link, Bristol

 

Depression and Hearing link, Bristol. Stephen Neal audiologist who is based at the Keynsham hearing centre knows that Depression and hearing can be linked.

Depression and hearing link found by researchers.

New report into depression and hearing has been published. We at the Keynsham hearing centre are well aware of this link and can help with making your hearing a little better.

Bristol hearing and Ear wax removal centre

 

Bristol hearing and Ear wax removal centre is at the Keynsham hearing centre the independent hearing and ear wax specialist covering Bath, Bristol, & Somerset.  If you are having issues with hearing in general we can conduct a hearing test at Keynsham. The comprehensive hearing test will take around an hour of your time, but the results will be know there and then putting you in control of your hearing. We can then discuss what hearing instrument (hearing aid) you may need if required.  There could be other issues at play if you are not hearing as well as you think you should be. We can before the test look to see if you have any ear wax present. Ear wax isn’t usually an issue, we all need a little for good ear health. However in some cases excessive ear wax build up can become an issue and if you have excessive ear wax we will clear this before any test is conducted.

Depression and Hearing link, Bristol

Ear wax removal is very easy and painless. We use the Microsuction ear wax removal method as this really is the gold standard of ear wax removal. We also can use the older method of ear wax removal called irrigation or some may know this as ear syringing. This method uses warm water to gently irrigate the ear to help release the ear wax out from the ear.

You can watch our ear wax removal here

 

So if you are having some hearing issues and would like afamily run professional ear wax removal service then book an appointment. We can discuss at the appointment any of the issues at length. After all we are all ears!

 

Ear wax removal Bath and Bristol

 

Stephen Neal News:

Bringing world wide news on hearing to our local area.

 

Study Shows Older Adults with Hearing Loss at Higher Risk for Depression

 

Hearing loss is linked to depression

Keynsham hearing centre

The results of a study investigating the connection between hearing loss and depression found that older adults with some form of hearing loss were 47% more likely to also have depression symptoms, according to an article in Reuters. 

Bristol Hearing centre

Originally published in The Gerontologist, the research reviewlooked at 35 previous studies encompassing 147, 148 participants, who were at least 60 years old.

“We know that older adults with hearing loss often withdraw from social occasions, like family events because they have trouble understanding others in noisy situations, which can lead to emotional and social loneliness,” lead study author Blake Lawrence of the Ear Science Institute Australia, in Subiaco, and the University of Western Australia in Crawley, was quoted as saying in Reuters. 

Additionally, the article goes on to add that the brain may work harder to interpret sound from a weaker auditory signal, draining resources needed to maintain working memory or other cognitive functions. A weaker signal may also cause the “reorganization” of neural pathways, potentially changing the way depression is regulated in the brain.

Ear syringing Bath

In a new white paper produced by The Hearing Review and sponsored by Hamilton CapTel, “Depression, Hearing Loss, and Treatment with Hearing Aids,” audiologist and educator Victor Bray, PhD, reviews previous landmark studies as well as more recent research into the complex relationship between hearing loss and depression. The paper helps identify patient populations who might benefit most from hearing devices. Additionally, Dr Bray’s webinar “Depression, Hearing Loss, and Treatment with Hearing Aids,” discusses the risk factors for depression among people with hearing loss as well as why hearing care providers should screen for depression when risk factors are present.

Original Paper: Lawrence BJ, Jayakody DMP, Bennett RJ, Eikelboom RH, Gasson N, Friedland PL. Hearing loss and depression in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Gerontologist. 2019:1-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz009

Source: Reuters, The Hearing Review, The Gerontologist

Hearing aids for Bristol and Bath

/in , /by

Hearing aids for Bristol and Bath

 

Hearing aids for Bristol and Bath by Stephen Neal.  Stephen prides himself on being at the vanguard of hearing technology. Based at the Keynsham hearing Centre, Stephen Neal is a lead audiologist and is first class at keeping up with the new tech that comes out constantly.  Today we he is looking at the recently announced Phonak Marvel. For those who don’t know what this product is here is a sample from their Press release.

”In October 2018, Phonak introduced Marvel, a hearing aid family that’s said to “combine all the top-requested features from hearing aid wearers” into one solution.

Hearing aids Bristol and Bath

According to Phonak, this technology also helps to improves accessibility to hearing care by empowering consumers to benefit from a suite of smart apps that connect hearing aid wearers with their hearing care professional via smartphone. These include video chat, instant feedback regarding their wearing experience, remote fine-tuning from anywhere in the world, and real-time, voice-to-text transcription of phone calls”.

Sounds good?  We think so and we are pleased that Phonak has won a prestigious award saying that they agree too. If this Phonak product sounds like something you may like more info on then please let us know and we could arrange an appointment to see if this would be right for you.

See the rest of the info on the Phonak Marvel product bellow.

Check out  our earwax removal video here.

 

Stephen Neal News: 

Phonak Marvel Wins Silver Edison Award for Hearing Aid Design Technology

Phonak Marvel hearing aid technology also improves accessibility to hearing care by empowering consumers to benefit from a suite of smart apps that instantly connect hearing aid wearers with their hearing care professional via their smartphone.

Phonak Marvel available at the Henley Hearing Clinic Bucks

Phonak Marvel, said to be “the world’s first hearing aid” to combine clear sound quality with universal “made for all” Bluetooth connectivity, received a Silver Award in the hearing aid design technology category at the Edison Awards gala in New York City, the hearing aid manufacturer announced. The Edison Awards, named after Thomas Alva Edison, recognizes and honors innovators and innovations.

In October 2018, Phonak introduced Marvel, a hearing aid family that’s said to “combine all the top-requested features from hearing aid wearers” into one solution.

Ear wax removal Bristol

According to Phonak, this technology also helps to improves accessibility to hearing care by empowering consumers to benefit from a suite of smart apps that connect hearing aid wearers with their hearing care professional via smartphone. These include video chat, instant feedback regarding their wearing experience, remote fine-tuning from anywhere in the world, and real-time, voice-to-text transcription of phone calls.

All nominations were reviewed by the Edison Awards Steering Committee and the final ballot sent to an independent judging panel. The judging panel was comprised of more than 3,000 professionals from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing, and education, including professional organizations representing a wide variety of industries and disciplines.

Hearing aids for Bath and Bristol

For more information on the 2019 Edison Awards, please visit: www.edisonawards.com.  Applications for the 2020 awards will open in August 2019.

 Source: Phonak, Edison Awards

Images: Phonak

Starkey hearing aids

/in , /by

Starkey hearing aids, Stephen Neal Hearing

 

We sell and dispense all types of hearing aids at the Keynsham hearing centre run by Stephen Neal . One of the big guns is Starkey. Recently they announced a new innovation for their Live Ai hearing aids. It now comes with fall detection, meaning it will detect if you have a fall and if you are paired with your phone it will message up to 3 contacts  that you have specified before hand.

Read the full press statement bellow for more info, or if you are interested in knowing more please pop in or make an appointment so we can walk you through the new hearing aid and it’s features.

 

Stephen Neal hearing news:

Starkey Releases World’s First Hearing Aid with Fall Detection and Alerts to Livio AI Users

balance problems increase risk for fallsStarkey Hearing Technologies, Eden Prairie, Minn, has released its new Fall Detection and Alert feature in Livio AI hearing aids to a limited number of hearing professionals, and plans to offer the feature to all dispensing professionals and their clients in late February, according to CTO Achin Bhowmik, PhD, in an interview with Hearing Review on Tuesday, December 18. Using integrated sensors, the Fall Detection and Alert feature is designed to automatically detect falls and send messages to as many as three contacts.

Fall detection sensors are currently implemented in all Livio AI devices as part of its standard hardware platform, and Starkey has been working on the Fall Alert feature to maximize its utility for end users prior to the system’s widespread implementation.

Falls are a massive public health problem, particularly for older adults. It’s estimated that injuries due to falls will account for $67.7 billion in public health spending by 2020, and according to the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) falls are currently responsible for an older adult being admitted to a US emergency room every 11 seconds. Additionally, people with hearing loss are particularly susceptible to falls. A Johns Hopkins study suggests that having hearing loss triples the risk of falls for people age 40 and older—and the findings hold up regardless of whether their hearing loss is moderate or severe.

StarkeyFallsInfoGraphic

How Starkey Fall Detection and Alerts work. Starkey’s new Fall Detection system is said to have several benefits over existing stand-alone medical alert systems, which are typically attached to a lanyard around the neck. “The first key advantage is that a hearing aid is almost always in your ear during your active hours, making for one less thing to carry or remember. One of the major problems with medical alert systems is getting people to wear them,” says Bhowmik. “Second, we have two fall detection sensors [in binaural fittings] for the right side and the left side, whereas most fall detection systems have only one. And the way the two sensors are spaced apart and the way in which you hold your head, we can get better and more accurate results than neck-worn sensors designed to detect falls.”

Starkey CTO Achin Bhowmik spoke about the possibility of fall detection and other sensor-based capabilities at the 2018 Starkey Expo held in January.

Starkey CTO Achin Bhowmik spoke about the possibility of fall detection and other sensor-based capabilities at the 2018 Starkey Expo held in January.

According to Bhowmik, part of Starkey’s recent research has revolved around what constitutes an actual fall as opposed false-positives such as quick downward movements or even accidentally dropping the hearing aid. “If you take the hearing aid off your ear and drop it on the ground, you will not get a false-positive for falling with Livio AI,” says Bhowmik. “We have been working on [eliminating false-positives] for over a year. A good AI system is only as good as the data you train the system with. In this particular case, if the left hearing aid detects a fall, it immediately checks with the right hearing aid to see if the data matches what would indicate a fall for the system. Unless it detects a fall from the hearing aids in tandem for both the right and left sides of the head, the device will eliminate those non-fall events and false-positives.”

Starkey Livio AI hearing aid

Starkey Livio AI hearing aid.

The hearing care professional will be able to activate Fall Detection and Alerts through an easy-to-use interface within the fitting software for Starkey’s Livio AI hearing aids. The user can then enter the Auto Alert contacts—up to three people who are to be alerted in the event of a fall within the Thrive Hearing App. When a fall is detected by the system, an audio prompt asks the user if they have fallen. He or she then has 60 seconds to provide an Event Cancellation and stop the outgoing Fall Alert messages from being sent to their designated contacts. If the hearing aid user has fallen and elects to send the Fall Alert message to his/her contacts, they receive confirmation when each contact has been successfully reached.

The system also allows for a Manual Alert which can be activated by simply pressing the hearing aid button, sending an alert for a fall or non-fall related event. “Maybe you didn’t fall, but instead just felt dizzy or were otherwise forced to sit down on the floor,” explains Bhowmik. “Obviously, this is not a fall. But you can still use the Manual Alert to get help when you need it. By tapping a button, you can send an automatic alert to your contacts, telling them you need assistance.”

This is just another step in the direction of making the hearing aid a multi-purpose, multi-functional device, according to Starkey.

To learn more about Starkey’s Livio AI you can visit: https://www.starkey.com/hearing-aids/technologies/livio-artificial-intelligence-hearing-aids

 

Hearing aids Somerset

/in , /by

 Hearing aids Bath Somerset

   Keynsham hearing centre

Hearing aids at the Keynsham hearing centre run by Stephen and Anita Neal. Digital hearing aids have changed beyond recognition in the last 5 years. If you are using older hearing aids or have been using NHS hearing aids and would like to try the latest discreet digital hearing aids with connectivity with your mobile phone, tablet and T.V. Keynsham hearing offer a free trial. Please contact Anita on reception. We use Phonak, GN ReSound, Oticon and other manufacturers hearing aids.

       EAR WAX REMOVAL

The Keynsham hearing centre also conduct ear wax removal using Microsuction and the traditional water irrigation technique. You can watch our video here to see how we do this and how painless and quick it really is.

Keynsham hearing news:

Researchers Identify Gene Associated with Age-related Hearing Loss

 

Mouse study reveals contributor to hearing loss

An international group of researchers, led by Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Michael Bowl, PhD, program leader track scientist, Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, UK, have identified the gene that acts as a key regulator for special cells needed in hearing.

The discovery of this gene (Ikzf2) will help researchers better understand this unique type of cell that is needed for hearing and potentially develop treatments for common age-related hearing loss, UMSOM announced.

“Outer hair cells are the first inner ear cells lost as we age,” said Hertzano, whose research will be published in the journal Nature. “Age-related hearing loss happens to everyone. Even a 30-year-old has lost some of the outer hair cells that sense higher pitch sounds. Simple exposure to sound, especially loud ones, eventually causes damage to these cells.”

The inner ear has two kinds of sensory hair cells required for hearing. The inner hair cells convert sounds to neural signals that travel to the brain. This compares to outer hair cells, which function by amplifying and tuning sounds. Without outer hair cells, sound is severely muted and inner hair cells don’t signal the brain. Loss of outer hair cells is said to be the major cause of age-related loss of hearing.

About the Research

Hertzano’s group, in collaboration with Ran Elkon, PhD, senior lecturer, Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel, took a bioinformatics and functional genomics approach to discover a gene critical for the regulation of genes involved in outer hair cell development. Bowl’s group studied mice from the Harwell Aging Screen to identify mice with hearing loss. Bowl identified mice with an early-onset hearing loss caused by an outer hair cell deficit. When the two groups realized that they were studying the same gene, they began to collaborate to discover its biological function and role in outer hair cell development. The gene is Ikzf2 gene, which encodes helios. Helios is a transcription factor, a protein that controls the expression of other genes. The mutation in the mice changes one amino acid in a critical part of the protein, which impaired the transcriptional regulatory activity of helios in the mice.

To test if helios could drive the differentiation of outer hair cells, the researchers introduced a virus engineered to overexpress helios into the inner ear hair cells of newborn mice. As a result, some of the mature inner hair cells became more like outer hair cells. In particular, the inner hair cells with an excess of helios started making the protein prestin and exhibited electromotility, a property limited to outer hair cells. Thus, helios can drive inner hair cells to adopt critical outer hair cell characteristics.

Funding for the research was provided by Action on Hearing Loss UK, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense (DOD).

As Professor Steve Brown, PhD, director, MRC Harwell Institute, said, “The development of therapies for age-related hearing loss represents one of the big challenges facing medicine and biomedical science. Understanding the genetic programs that are responsible for the development and maturation of sound-transducing hair cells within the inner ear will be critical to exploring avenues for the regeneration of these cells that are lost in abundance during age-related hearing loss. The teams from the University of Maryland and the MRC Harwell Research Institute have given us the first insights into that program. They have identified a master regulator, Ikzf2/helios, that controls the program for maturation of outer hair cells. Now, we have a target that we can potentially use to induce the production of outer hair cells within damaged inner ears, and we are one step closer to offering treatments for this disabling condition.”

Original Paper: Chessum L, Matern MS, Kelly MC, et al. Helios is a key transcriptional regulator of outer hair cell maturation. Nature. November 21, 2018.

Source: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Nature

Image: University of Maryland School of Medicine

Blocked ears in Wiltshire

/in /by

Blocked ears in Somerset?

 

Stephen Neal the ear wax specialist for the Somerset area.

 

Hearing aids for the Somerset area

 

If you are not as close to Keynsham as to Devizes we would recommend our sister company

Wiltshire ear clinic 

Stephen Neal is based at the premium independent hearing centre based in Keynsham Somerset. Family run and lead by Stephen Neal, a specialist audiologist for many years.

If you are suffering with blocked ears or think you may need a hearing test please book in with Anita on reception. Stephen is a fully qualified hearing aid dispenser and can show you how to connect any recent digital hearing aid to your iPhone, iPad etc. Please ask Colin for his sound advice when it comes to T.V. streaming to your hearing aid.

Based in Somerset at Keynsham, the hearing centre covers the whole of Somerset from Taunton, Frome, Cheddar, Bristol, Bath and beyond.

 

Stephen Neal News:

Oticon Announces Five New Opn Custom Solutions Styles

Ear wax removal, Bristol, Ear wax removal Bath, Ear wax removal Radstock,

Ear wax removal for the Somerset area.

Oticon announced the launch of five new custom hearing aid styles, including what is said to be the “smallest hearing aid style Oticon has ever produced,” using BrainHearing™  and Opn’s technology to support the brain in making sense of sound and enabling users to identify where sounds are coming from, even in challenging environments.

Oticon Opn Invisible-in- Canal hearing aid (IIC)

Oticon Opn Invisible-in-Canal hearing aid (IIC)

“The variety of Opn Custom styles, functionalities, and features combined with Oticon’s groundbreaking open sound experience provides hearing care professionals with even more Opn choices for their patients, especially those who are reluctant to try hearing aids,” says Don Schum, PhD, Oticon vice president of audiology. “For many first-time users, the appeal of an invisible hearing solution, our smallest IIC ever, may be the catalyst for taking action to address their hearing loss.”

No Compromise on Quality, Reliability, Performance

Opn Custom hearing aids are said to break through some of the challenges faced by people with hearing loss: understanding speech in noise and handling multiple speakers, according to Oticon. The custom lineup includes styles with 2.4 GHz low-energy Bluetooth® connectivity that offer wireless possibilities.The miniaturization of all components can help enable more functionality in less space, resulting in fewer compromises and more modeling freedom to support a better physical fit and a higher fit rate. The effect and availability of Opn Custom features varies with hearing aid style and prescription.

Oticon Opn and Siya

Oticon Opn and Siya

Cheddar, Somerset hearing aids and Ear wax removal

The new Oticon Siya amplifies the detail of sounds, which can enable users to be able to follow conversations in noisy environments. Oticon BrainHearing technology and a chip that reportedly processes sound 50 times faster than Oticon’s previous generation of essential hearing aids are said to deliver high-resolution sound quality to improve speech understanding.

Ear wax removal Somerset

With 2.4 GHz Bluetooth low-energy technology, Siya is said to be the “first hearing aid” in the essential category to allow wireless connectivity with low battery consumption to modern smartphones, TVs, and other Bluetooth®-enabled devices. Siya comes in a complete lineup of styles, ranging from invisible custom styles to power hearing aids.

Oticon Siya

Oticon Siya

Nunney & Frome ear wax removal

HearingFitness™ is a new tool, available in Oticon’s proprietary ON App, to help people with hearing loss understand how they can optimize their hearing health behavior to take full advantage of their hearing aids. Users of internet-connected Oticon Opn and Oticon Siya hearing aids can use HearingFitness to track how long they wear their hearing aids and receive notifications and prompts to help them reach their wearing goals and track the noise levels they are frequently exposed to. The new tool can be especially useful for first-time users who find it difficult to adapt to wearing hearing aids.

For more information on the new Oticon Opn Custom solutions and the extended Oticon Opn family, visit www.Oticon.com/OpnCustom. For information on Oticon Siya, visit www.Oticon.com/Siya. For information on the Oticon ON App with the new HearingFitness tool, visit www.Oticon.com/HearingFitness.

Source: Oticon

Images: Oticon