MGB Hearing Care

06/08/2025

Music is for the Soul ... but don't forget about your ears !!!

So it's the annual pilgrimage to Blackpool Winter Gardens for the Rebellion Punk Rock Festival : 4 days of Loud Noise and Mayhem.
Remember : Take Your Ear Defenders !

Exposure to Loud Music through headphones or at concerts can cause irreparable Tinnitus (Ringing or whistling noises in your head or ears) and damage your hearing.

Protect your hearing by reducing the volume and 'In The Ear' headphone use, also, use ear defenders at loud concerts.

If you have Tinnitus it may just be wax. If you have any concerns about your hearing, tinnitus or just want advice about ear protection, then give us a ring at MGB Hearing Care, we are more than happy to help.

02/07/2025

A very big Thank You to everyone at West Pennine Villages u3a group for making me feel so welcome.

MGB Hearing Care delivered a well received presentation on 'All Things Ears' today to an interested and enthusiastic audience.
There were lots of questions, quite a few laughs and dare I say that a few people will be visiting an audiologist as a consequence, which is great.
Lovely people, thank you again for your support.

If you would like a speaker for your community group, then please do get in touch.

13/03/2025

Ear Wax Removal on BBC Breakfast Show this morning:

The BBC covered a feature on wax removal this morning which made some very important points:

"Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear" is the old adage. Numerous self wax removal tools are available online, however these are potentially dangerous as they can damage the ear canal or ear drum, as is using cotton buds.

More importantly, the feature highlighted that if you do need wax removal, it must be undertaken by a qualified expert. Your practitioner should be a qualified Audiologist or Hearing Aid Audiologist, registered with the HCPC or RCCP/AHCS and hold appropriate liability insurance.

Earwax removal is a procedure that requires extensive medical knowledge, skill and experience, yet it is possible for someone to attend a days' training, get a so-called certificate, and advertise themselves as 'qualified', without a thorough understanding of the pathology of the ear. Your hearing is precious, so don't leave it to chance.

Maurice Black is a fully qualified Hearing Aid Audiologist, registered with the HCPC, holding full liability Insurance and has undertaken over 20,000 successful wax extractions.

Contact MGB Hearing Care for your wax removal needs.

10/03/2025

On behalf of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, I would like to thank the lovely Ladies of Adlington Women's Guild for their generous charitable donation, this will go to training more clever hearing dogs helping deaf children and adults leave loneliness behind and reconnect with life.

I recently did a presentation to the group on 'All Things Ears' which was warmly received and gave the group the opportunity to learn more about their own hearing, communicating with people who have a hearing loss and hearing aids.

If your social, community or church group would like a free speaker event, then please contact MGB Hearing Care for more details.

02/03/2025

Tomorrow is World Hearing Day
Are you turning up the volume on the TV.
Do you frequently ask people to repeat themselves.
Do you struggle to follow conversations, especially in noisy environments, group gatherings or restaurants.
Do you feel other people are mumbling.
Is it difficult to hear on the telephone.
If you recognise any of these symptoms, it may be time to consult a hearing professional. Ignoring them can impact your emotional and social well-being.
Early intervention helps to maintain healthy hearing ensuring you stay connected to the world and people around you.
For any further hearing advice, contact us at MGB Hearing Care.

10/02/2025

Ringing In Your Ears ???
Most of us will experience ringing in the ears, known as Tinnitus, at some stage. In fact 1 in 7 adults in the UK have persistent Tinnitus.
Last week was Tinnitus Awareness Week.
If you are experiencing ringing or high pitched noises in your ears, it could be due to something as simple as a wax blockage.
It could also point to an underlying hearing issue.
Either way, get your ears checked.
MGB Hearing Care offers help, advice and wax removal services to address any Tinnitus related concerns you may have.
Further information can be found on the RNID website, which offers helpful tips on how to manage tinnitus.
Click the link below:
https://rnid.org.uk/free-tinnitus-guide/

28/08/2024

Community First Responders (CFRs)

A big thank you to Preston Community First Responders for providing life-saving training at Penwortham Golf Club recently, organised by Preston South Rotary Club.

We learnt how to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), how to use a Defibrillator as well as learning what to do in an emergency.

CFRs are trained volunteers who support the North West Ambulance Service in the Preston area at life-and-death emergencies such as cardiac arrest, allergic reactions, breathing problems, strokes, and seizures. Often first on the scene prior to the arrival of ambulances, CFRs are entirely reliant on donations. Theirs is a vital role but few people know about them. Find out more at:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Preston-Community-First-Responders/61557112615749/

MGB Hearing Care supports Preston Community First Responders.
Please do the same:

21/08/2024

Question: How much is a life worth ?
Answer: 1 hour of your time.

Every year 60,000 people suffer out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK.
Only 1 in 10 of them survive.
Being able to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may give your loved one, friend or even a stranger a second chance at life.
Find out how at:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/cpr/
Simple Skills Saves Lives

Find out how to safely give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to adults, children and babies under one year of age.

08/07/2024

Going On Holiday.....Look After Your Ears
Top Tips for when you fly:

When flying, we experience differentials in air pressure in our ears which can lead to a muffled sensation, a change in hearing, discomfort and in some cases: severe pain in the ears.

To help equalise the pressure in your ears, suck boiled sweets (blackcurrant, liquorice, mentho-eucalyptus flavours are particularly good) like 'Fisherman's Friends' or chew gum such as 'Airwaves' (Unless you're going to Singapore).

Using a 'Vicks' nasal inhaler stick also helps to clear the sinuses helping the air pressure to equalise. Drink plenty of water and use the 'Valsalva' manoeuvre to gently 'pop' your ears when ascending and descending.

Happy Holidays...

27/06/2024

It's always nice to get a compliment...

Hi Maurice

My world has been opened up again thanks to your expertise and ‘job well done’.
I also learnt a great deal about hearing, hearing aids and wax.
You demonstrated how effective it is to maintain one’s hearing aids and the medical benefits of knowledge.
You did a great job, thank you.

Thanks again, you are a real ‘aid’ to hearing !

Mr J.C. (Preston)

12/06/2024

All Things Ears

I'd like to say A Big Thank You to the lovely residents and support workers at the Brothers Of Charity Lisieux Hall in Whittle le Woods for inviting me to give a talk on 'All Things Ears'.

We had a fun hour together and we all got something from it. Residents and staff had the opportunity to look inside their own ears and learn about communicating with people who have a hearing impairment.

The Brothers of Charity offer a range of services, in partnership with local community groups, to help people with learning disabilities integrate into society and to help them find their rightful place within the community.

If you would like your local community, church or other group to have a Free talk on 'All Things Ears', then please contact us at MGB Hearing Care

23/05/2024

I spent a few days last week at the 77th Cannes Film Festival with its’ accompanying cacophony of sights and sounds that make it so special. To celebrate, here’s my top 10 films that feature the subject of hearing loss:

1: Sound of Metal - Riz Ahmed is the Heavy Metal drummer who suffers a sudden loss of hearing. The film examines the psychological impact this has on both him and those around him.

2: A Quiet Place - The intent of Alien monsters with super sensitive hearing who hunt humans are thwarted with the help of a young deaf girl and the innovative use of her Hearing Aid.

3: CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults) - A young hearing singing prodigy, Emilia Jones, struggles between her deaf family’s needs and her own ambitions.

4: Baby Driver - Ansel Elgort is a getaway driver suffering with severe Tinnitus who uses music to ‘mask’ or ‘drown out’ the constant ringing in his ears.

5: UP - This animation about a widower fulfilling his dreams has a subplot where his young companion experiences a sudden hearing impairment and so they must learn to adapt and communicate using alternative methods.

6: A Star Is Born - Bradley Cooper, alongside Lady Gaga, plays a country rock star who has NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss) and refuses to wear Hearing Protection during his performances leading to a greater loss.

7: Children Of A Lesser God - William Hurt plays a Hearing Speech Teacher who falls for deaf woman, Marlee Matlin, The film is notable for being one of the first major movies to feature a Deaf leading performer.

8: Creed - In this Rocky spin-off. Michael B Jordan plays Apollo Creeds’ son who is in a relationship with a young musician who has a degenerative hearing loss condition.

9: The Ultimate Playlist Of Noise - Keean Johnson plays a teenager who faces losing his hearing from an upcoming brain operation and goes on a quest to experience the world’s greatest sounds beforehand.

10: Immortal Beloved - No such list would be complete without Beethoven of course, who famously experienced progressive profound hearing loss during his life and this biopic explores the impact of that condition.