Hearing and Tinnitus Care

03/09/2025

Today I’m closing my Facebook Tinnitus Support Group, and I’d like to thank everyone for their contributions over the last four years. It’s been an honour. Unfortunately I can’t recommend an alternative because Facebook is so heavy with spam!

You can bookmark this page for the latest tinnitus-specific blog posts…

www.hearingandtinnitus.co.uk/blog/categories/tinnitus

or sign up to my website, to become a member and receive notifications of new posts. It’s free to join, and paid online services are scheduled for future work.

02/09/2025

Active Habituation tinnitus sessions are available to book via Microsoft Teams video call. Full instructions will be given on how to connect - you just need a good internet connection and a comfy chair to receive your personal tinnitus consultation.

You can book by email, text, phone or online via the website

https://www.hearingandtinnitus.co.uk/book-online

These sessions are two hours long (there’s a comfort break!). We go through your individual history, your personal triggers and current methods of management.

You’ll be educated on how to work on your personal triggers to the best effect, and how/why this works.

At the end of your session you should have clear goals in mind of how to reduce *your* tinnitus distress. How you personally can achieve a life where tinnitus is in the background, where it belongs. Further directions will be given and/or your doctor advised, where needed - however an Active Habituation crash course is all most people need.

In-person sessions are also available, at clinic or at home if you’re in the area.

28/08/2025

Awesome news for all of us who struggle to hear rail announcements (and theatre, and countless other settings!)…

A trial at Bristol Temple Meads shows exactly why Auracast could transform rail travel. And if proof was needed a platform alteration shows why

25/08/2025

Part 4 of with her new cochlear implant! A successful operation and a bit of recuperation, along with pleasing revelations…

Dinah’s cochlear implant operation took place on 19 August and took 1-1.5 hours. It was a success, but we won’t know for sure until switch

18/08/2025

Part 3 - Dinah’s Cochlear Implant Journey is now available. Op day tomorrow!

Dinah is feeling “uncharacteristically nervy” about the operation. She is doing displacement housework…

13/08/2025

A question from my mailbag. Do you need earplugs to protect yourself from noise when you go to a concert / gig?

I’m pretty sure that “are these kids going to get tinnitus and hidden hearing loss in ten years?” is not part of the conversation.

08/08/2025

An article on cinema sound levels (and loud noise in general), which the Dublin Inquirer asked me to collaborate on.

Tinnitus and hyperacusis sufferers should be given warnings, among other tips in the article.

During a cinema visit a few weeks back, Garry Mulhall noticed his son had his hands over his ears.

04/08/2025

Still receiving frequent letters from B**ts many years after I stopped wearing the hearing aids I got from them. Not to mention all the calls I got from Hidden Hearing after doing an online test 😩

How is an independent supposed to compete against that sort of marketing/harassment (depending on your viewpoint) power?

Also, since I worked at B**ts as a new graduate, would I be welcomed back? Since they only have “expert audiologists”? I’m not sure how I’d fit into the hierarchy now if someone with a foundation degree or lower is an expert? Presumably I’d be CEO?

Marketing is all fluff, is my point. The questions to ask when you choose an aud:

1) if I have a hearing test, is it free because they will use my personal data to market me to death?
2) do they use words that are essentially meaningless (such as expert), or concrete such as BSc Audiology, 10+ years since starting training?
3) do they offer discount on top of discount, making you think they are perhaps overpriced to start with? Or one fair price* to everyone?
4) do you like the individual you are dealing with? The clinician? And will they still be there in 6 months?

What do you think? Maybe my strategy is all wrong!

* I do offer a loyalty discount to returning customers if they are changing aids with me early, but always offer the lowest price possible to new clients.

01/08/2025

Click the link to read my book review, and find out how *not* to behave if you’re hard of hearing! As with all disabilities, when they are invisible you will encounter problems.

As with all disabilities, while we are harrumphing about ignorant people treating us badly, we’re likely overlooking someone else’s invisible disability. Even worse, they think we are clueless *and rude* because we didn’t acknowledge their “hello” that time!

A little understanding is needed, so here are some tips on how to stay employed while you wait for the world to understand hearing impairment.

This book does indeed give a true flavour of how ignorant people are in real life. 5 stars for the honesty. However, the way the author

25/07/2025

Amazing how this pattern strikes your eardrum, travels along a series of bones and fluid, and is reproduced faithfully in the brain.

If you’re not awed by how we hear, it’s only because you haven’t thought about it!

22/07/2025

Latest tinnitus support group info. If you’d like to join a free group, getting information from a tinnitus-specialised audiologist among others, please feel free to join…

12/07/2025

Did you know some audiologists are trained in balance too? Now you do! The hearing and balance organs are closely linked in your skull, and this is why vertigo and hearing loss are both affected in certain medical conditions.

Balance organs can be exercised and strengthened. This reduces your risk of falls and can keep you confident and able.

Here are a few exercises recommended by NHS vestibular/physio staff. All abilities can do them.

If you’re like me, (middle aged and far too busy to take on anything new!) you can simply stand on one leg, then the other, while you’re boiling the kettle. Fingers lightly on the countertop so you don’t topple. Build up the number of seconds you stay on one leg over time.

Once you’ve mastered that, you can try doing it with your eyes closed* - but not until you’re secure with them open.

Balance is one of those things you take for granted, and once it’s deteriorated it can put you off doing things that keep you happy and healthy. So keep up your ability, and your body (with its unbroken bones) and posture will thank you.

Full set:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/balance-exercises/

*this is more difficult because we use balance organs, visual and proprioceptive feedback all at once to maintain balance

Find out how to do these balance exercises, which you can do at home to help improve your health and mobility.