Audiologia
Our community Audiology Services provides specialist NHS services for patients with hearing problems.
Our Any Qualified Provider (AQP) service provides free NHS hearing assessments and the latest digital hearing aids.
Services are available at a range of locations across the midlands.
The team of Audiologists conduct NHS hearing assessments and fit NHS hearing aids for:
-
people aged 18+ across the Birmingham and Solihull area
-
people aged 18+ across the South East London area
-
people aged 55+ across the black country area.
We also work alongside out specialist Ear, nose and Throat servicesin the Birmingham and Solihull area.
Our objective is to provide excellent clinical care to all patients.
This service is available on the NHS Electronic referral System, please speak to your GP for more information and to be referred to us.
Service Sites
We offer Audiology services at the following loacations:
Khattak Memorial Surgery in Small Heath
Attwood Green Medical Centre in Five ways
St Johns Medical Centre in Walsall
The Oaks Medical Centre in Great Barr
Hearing Aid Batteries
Batteries can be collected by making an appointment at the following locations:
-
Khattak Memorial surgery
-
Attwood Green Health centre
-
The Oaks medical centre
-
St Johns Medical centre
You can also collect batteries from the 2nd floor community services reception at Attwood Green health centre during the opening hours.
Hearing aid batteries must not be disposed of in household waste bins and should be put in special battery disposal bins. These are available in some supermarkets; you can also drop used batteries to reception at any of our clinic locations.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the term for noises heard ‘in the ear or ears’ or ‘in the head’ when no obvious source of sound is apparent. The noises are usually described as ringing, whistling, hissing, buzzing or humming. Tinnitus is not a disease or an illness, it is a non-specific symptom, that can be brought on by a mental or physical ‘change’, not necessarily related to hearing. In a mild form, tinnitus is extremely common. Almost everyone gets the occasional ringing in the ears, either without any clear trigger or after exposure to loud sounds, be it at work or socially. About 10% of us experience tinnitus frequently and approximately 5% of the adult population in the UK experience persistent or troublesome tinnitus.
Occasionally people have tinnitus that takes the form of recognisable musical sounds or even complete tunes rather than the more common ringing, hissing, buzzing sounds. This is referred to as musical imagery tinnitus or auditory imagery tinnitus. It usually occurs in older people who also have a hearing loss and quite often these people have a strong musical interest. The exact mechanism by which this form of tinnitus occurs is unknown but probably involves the auditory memory parts of the brain. Unfortunately, this form of tinnitus is sometimes initially mistaken for mental illness. However, once it has been recognised as tinnitus rather than a psychiatric condition it can be treated in the same way as other forms of tinnitus. Helping hearing loss with appropriate hearing aids is particularly important with musical imagery tinnitus.
Middle Ear Problems
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
What is eustachian tube dysfunction?
Unequal pressure between the air in the middle ear (beyond the eardrum) and the outside. It means that the Eustachian tube is failing to equalise the pressure and the ventilation of the middle ear sometimes because of colds, sinus, throat or ear infections; allergies, flying or pressure changes....READ MORE
Glue Ear
Glue ear (also called otitis media with effusion) means the middle ear contains a build-up of sticky fluid (or glue).
This can affect hearing because the middle ear can’t move freely, but the level of hearing loss is mild. Some children have recurrent glue ear, meaning it returns after treatment over a long period.
Because of the hearing problems that come with glue ear, this can cause speech and language development problems.
Glue ear tends to affect children under the age of seven, most commonly between the ages of two and five. Some children develop glue ear after a cold, so it can be more common during the winter months. It’s also more common in boys than girls, but we don’t know why yet.....READ MORE
Hearing Loss
Sensory-Neural (SNHL)
Sensory-neural hearing loss is due to damage to the pathway that sound impulses take from the hair cells of the inner ear to the auditory nerve and the brain. Possible causes of SNHL are:
-
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). This is the natural decline in hearing that many people experience as they get older. It's partly due to damage to the hair cells in the cochlea (hearing organ in the inner ear).
-
Acoustic trauma (injury caused by loud noise) can damage hair cells.
-
Certain viral or bacterial infections such as mumps or meningitis can lead to loss of hair cells or other damage to the auditory nerve.
-
Menière's disease, which causes dizziness, tinnitus, and hearing loss.
Certain drugs, such as powerful antibiotics, can cause permanent hearing loss. At high doses, aspirin is thought to cause temporary tinnitus - a persistent ringing in the ears. The antimalarial drug quinine can also cause tinnitus, but it's not thought to cause permanent damage.
Acoustic neuroma. This is a benign (non-cancerous) tumour affecting the auditory nerve. It needs to be observed by an ENT consultant and is sometimes treated.
Other neurological (affecting the brain or nervous system) conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, or a brain tumour.
Conductive
A conductive hearing loss is one that affects the structures that conduct the sound to the inner ear - this includes both the middle and outer ear. Common causes of conductive hearing loss are, wax build up, fluid or infection in the middle ear, perforated eardrum or damage to the middle ear bones.
Many cases of conductive hearing loss can be treated by ENT consultants. Wax and fluid build-up is easily treated, an infection can be treated with antibiotics, a ruptured eardrum can be patched and damaged middle ear bones can be replaced in surgical procedures.
Mixed
The term mixed hearing loss is used to describe a hearing loss that is a combination of conductive and sensory-neural loss - in other words affecting both the outer/middle and inner ear.
Sensory Versus Neural Hearing Loss
Sensory hearing loss originates in the inner ear and neural hearing loss originates from structures or systems beyond the inner ear (eg. the auditory nerve or the central nervous system).
With regard to the configuration of the hearing loss, the audiologist is looking at qualitative attributes such as:
-
Bilateral (both ears) versus unilateral (one ear) hearing loss
-
Symmetrical (same level/severity of hearing loss in both ears) versus asymmetrical hearing loss (different levels/severity of hearing loss in each ear)
-
High-frequency/pitched versus low frequency/pitched hearing loss
-
Progressive versus sudden hearing loss
-
Stable versus fluctuating hearing loss.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Any damage to the cochlear hair cells can result in permanent hearing loss or hearing distortion. The degree of damage depends on both the level of noise and the duration of exposure. After relatively short periods of loud noise exposure, the ear suffers from something called temporary threshold shift, a temporary dullness in your hearing that usually recovers within two days. Avoid any further significant noise exposure during this time. Temporary hearing loss is a warning sign that the hearing system has been put under great stress and that there is a risk of permanent damage. If the noise exposure continues, over a prolonged period of time, permanent changes may occur. This is called permanent threshold shift. Regular exposure to noise can lead to permanent noise-induced hearing loss as the hair cells continue to be damaged.
-
Acoustic trauma: this can occur on exposure to very intense sounds for a short time, an explosion for example. In some cases, a very intense sound can also damage your eardrum.
-
Tinnitus caused by noise: tinnitus is a medical term to describe noises that people can hear in one ear, both ears or in the head, such as ringing, humming, buzzing or whistling.
Sometimes, tinnitus is the first sign that your ear has been damaged by noise. For some people it can be temporary but continued exposure to loud noise may lead to permanent tinnitus.
How can I tell if sounds are too loud?
Being unable to talk to people two metres away without shouting because of background noise. Ringing in your ears for a few hours after noise exposure. The level of sound hurts your ears.
How do I protect myself from noise exposure?
-
Work: Employers have a legal duty to protect your hearing. The regulations say that if you are exposed to loud noise at work, your employer must have noise levels assessed and keep a record of the assessment. They must take steps to reduce the level of noise where possible and provide ear protection where required. They may also arrange regular hearing tests to monitor changes in your hearing.
-
Play: Earplugs, earmuffs and canal caps can protect your ears from loud noise by reducing the level of sound reaching your ears. If you are exposed to noise that cannot be stopped, reduced or avoided, you should use earplugs or earmuffs. Musicians may wish to purchase specialist ear plugs. You may also want to consider noise-cancelling headphones that will enable you to listen to your MP3 player at a lower volume by reducing noise around you, such as on public transport. There are suggestions that children should be limited to a maximum of 1 hour per day using earphones. The device volume should be set no higher than 60%.
Symptoms and early signs of hearing loss
Conversation becomes difficult or impossible. Your family complains about the television being too loud. You have trouble using the telephone. You find it difficult to catch sounds like 't', 'd' and 's', so you confuse similar words. You develop tinnitus.
What level of noise exposure is safe?
It is important to consider both the level of noise and duration of exposure. If the noise is uncomfortable for you to listen to then it is probably too loud. Smart phone apps for noise level measurements cannot be guaranteed to be sufficiently accurate to be a reliable source of information. There is good evidence that the human ear can tolerate sound levels below 85dB (a busy bar or city traffic noise) almost indefinitely but with increasing sound levels above this, the risk of permanent hearing damage rises.
Noise level (dB) Safe exposure time (hours)
85 8
88 4
91. 2
94. 1
97 0.5
Adapted from information provided by the British Tinnitus Association
The most important thing is prevention – i.e. protecting your ears from noise -induced hearing loss. Raise any concerns you have regarding your hearing with your GP.
Understanding Your Hearing Test
Your hearing test results are plotted on a chart which is known as an audiogram. An example of an audiogram to the right
On an audiogram we plot frequency against loudness.
As you can see on the audiogram above, there are numbers across the top. These numbers relate to the pitch (also known as frequency) of a sound. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz).
500 Hz is a very low pitched sound like a bass note and 8000 Hz is a very high pitched sound.
The numbers down the side from -10 to 120 relate to the loudness (also known as intensity) of the sound.
Patient Information
-10 dB is a very quiet sound and 120dB is a very loud sound (like the sound of a plane taking off).
Loudness is measured in decibels (dB). The bigger the number the louder the sound. The X’s are what sounds you can hear via the headphones with your left ear
The O’s are what sounds you can hear via the headphones with your right ear The triangles are what sounds you can hear via the bone conductor
A copy of your hearing test has been given to you today.
Hearing loss can be categorised in the following ways:
Mild - A mild hearing loss means that your hearing is slightly below the level that is considered normal. You still have a good degree of useful hearing but may have difficulty hearing quieter sounds. You may also find it harder to follow a speaker’s voice if they are more than about 1.5 metres away, or if there is a lot of background noise.
Moderate – A moderate hearing loss means that you may often have difficulty following speech and hearing other quiet noises.
Severe – A severe loss means that you are unable to hear speech even in quiet surroundings and may not hear general noises such as traffic unless it is loud.
Profound – a profound loss means that you are unable to hear most sounds unless they are very loud. You have very little or no useful hearing.
Hearing loss can be present in both ears, or just one ear. A hearing loss in one ear is known as a unilateral hearing loss and a hearing loss in both ears is known as a bilateral hearing loss.
Your hearing test shows that you have a unilateral/bilateral hearing loss. The implications of this have been discussed with you today.
A unilateral hearing loss is where the hearing is satisfactory in one ear and there is a hearing loss in the other ear. As the hearing is at satisfactory levels on one side, overall you will be able to hear speech. Most people with a unilateral hearing loss are able to hear normal speech in a quiet environment. If you have a unilateral hearing loss it is unlikely that a hearing aid will be recommended.
Hearing aids will be recommended if you have a bilateral loss that is moderate or worse and is affecting how you access speech socially with friends and family.
In line with our departmental policy you will be seen again in 3 years for your hearing to be tested again. If you have concerns prior to this yearly appointment then please contact us and we will arrange for you to be seen.
Communication Tactics
Info Hearing aids are programmed especially for the individual persons hearing loss and are designed to help speech and environmental sounds to be heard better. However even with hearing aids in place sometimes some additional cues are needed to help understand better in difficulty listening environments (busy shop, restaurant etc.)
Here are some tips to help communicate better.
Tips for the hearing aid wearer:
-
Be open with people about your hearing loss.
-
Ask people to speak clearly and naturally. Shouting can cause distortion to lip patterns.
-
Ask people to get your attention before they speak to you.
-
If you don’t understand the first time, try to keep calm and don’t panic. Ask the speaker to repeat, speak more slowly or to sat it in a different way.
-
If your hearing is not the same in both ears, try turning your better ear to the speaker.
-
Try to keep background noise to a minimum. E.g. turn off TV or radio when you want to communicate.
-
If you don’t already lip read, consider joining a course to learn.
-
You may need to concentrate harder when listening so you may feel more tired at the end of the day. In more difficult listening situations wireless communication accessories can be very useful.
-
Don’t be hard on yourself. No body hears correctly all of the time.
Tips for the communication partner:
-
Position yourself so that the listener can see your face and lips – visual cues are vital for understanding with hearing aids.
-
Reduce the distance between you and the listener especially in background noise.
-
Attract the listener’s attention by calling their name, making sure they see you or tapping them lightly on the shoulder.
-
Speak clearly and naturally. It is not necessary to shout, this will cause sound distortion and discomfort to the wearer. Maintain a normal tone of voice, speak clearly and more slowly.
-
Taking the surroundings into account. Don’t try to converse from one room to another or in rooms with distracting noises e.g. washing machine, vacuum. This is likely to lead to mutual frustration.
-
Understand that using hearing aids can be tiring. When talking with a new hearing aid user be aware of signs of fatigue. Don’t force or prolong conversations if the listener is tired.
-
Be patient. Respect the pace of recovery and encourage the person with hearing loss when progress is made. Be a good listener and help the person to achieve the big goal of participating in the life again through better hearing.
At times your hearing aids alone may not be enough to overcome loud background noise, hearing in lectures, meetings at work or at family parties. There are accessories that enhance the performance of your hearing aids in these difficult listening situations.
Hearing Aid User Guide
Info Hearing aids are programmed especially for the individual persons hearing loss and are designed to help speech and environmental sounds to be heard better. However even with hearing aids in place sometimes some additional cues are needed to help understand better in difficulty listening environments (busy shop, restaurant etc.)
Here are some tips to help communicate better.
Tips for the hearing aid wearer:
-
Be open with people about your hearing loss.
-
Ask people to speak clearly and naturally. Shouting can cause distortion to lip patterns.
-
Ask people to get your attention before they speak to you.
-
If you don’t understand the first time, try to keep calm and don’t panic. Ask the speaker to repeat, speak more slowly or to sat it in a different way.
-
If your hearing is not the same in both ears, try turning your better ear to the speaker.
-
Try to keep background noise to a minimum. E.g. turn off TV or radio when you want to communicate.
-
If you don’t already lip read, consider joining a course to learn.
-
You may need to concentrate harder when listening so you may feel more tired at the end of the day. In more difficult listening situations wireless communication accessories can be very useful.
-
Don’t be hard on yourself. No body hears correctly all of the time.
Tips for the communication partner:
-
Position yourself so that the listener can see your face and lips – visual cues are vital for understanding with hearing aids.
-
Reduce the distance between you and the listener especially in background noise.
-
Attract the listener’s attention by calling their name, making sure they see you or tapping them lightly on the shoulder.
-
Speak clearly and naturally. It is not necessary to shout, this will cause sound distortion and discomfort to the wearer. Maintain a normal tone of voice, speak clearly and more slowly.
-
Taking the surroundings into account. Don’t try to converse from one room to another or in rooms with distracting noises e.g. washing machine, vacuum. This is likely to lead to mutual frustration.
-
Understand that using hearing aids can be tiring. When talking with a new hearing aid user be aware of signs of fatigue. Don’t force or prolong conversations if the listener is tired.
-
Be patient. Respect the pace of recovery and encourage the person with hearing loss when progress is made. Be a good listener and help the person to achieve the big goal of participating in the life again through better hearing.
At times your hearing aids alone may not be enough to overcome loud background noise, hearing in lectures, meetings at work or at family parties. There are accessories that enhance the performance of your hearing aids in these difficult listening situations.
Midlands Support Groups
Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group
c/o Birmingham Institute for Deaf People
Ladywood Road
Birmingham
B16 8SZ
Membership secretary
Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group
3 Pilkington Avenue
Sutton Coldfield
B72 1LA
Regular quarterly Meetings
Monthly support sessions are held on the second Tuesday of the month 10.30am – 12 noon at:-
Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham Hard of Hearing Club
BID
Ladywood Road
Ladywood
Birmingham
B16 8SZ
Meets every Thursday at 7.30pm. A range of social activities are held including social evenings, whist, bingo, dancing, games and outings. Membership age range is 40 upwards.
British Deaf Association
Coventry Point
10th Floor
Market Way
Coventry
CV1 1EA
Tel 02476 550936
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Club (DAHOH)
Mere Green Community Centre
(Attached to the Library)
Sutton Coldfield
Tel 0121 682 4675
Social Group. Bingo, days out, holidays, chats, board games, occasional meals. Meets Tuesday 1pm – 3pm.
Deafblind UK
National Centre for Deaf Blindness
John + Lucille Van Geest Place
Cygnet Road
Hampton
Peterborough
PE7 8PD
Tel 01733 358100
Deafplus
irst Floor
Trinity Centre
Key Close
Whitechapel
London
E1 4HG
Tel 0207 790 6147
East Birmingham & Solihull Hard of Hearing Club
Woodland Farm
Back Lane
Meriden
Coventry
CV7 7LD
Tel 01676 522317
The club meets once a month to provide social contact, information and a changing programme i.e. speakers, quizzes, lip-reading, fund raising events etc. A Hearing Therapist is also present to give help and advice.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
The Grange
Wycombe Road
Saunderton
Buckinghamshire
HP27 9NS
Tel 01844 348100
Aim: To offer greater independence, confidence and security to deaf people by providing dogs trained to alert them to chosen everyday sounds.
Loud and Clear Hard of Hearing Group
Hearing Services Centre
Western Road
Birmingham
B18 7QH
Tel 0121 5543801 ex 4875
A monthly support group for hearing impaired people, their friends and family.
Ménière’s Society
The Rookery
Survey Hills Business Park
Wolton
Dorking
Surrey
RH5 6QT
Tel 01306 876883
National Cochlear Implant Users Association (NCIUA)
7 Eldridge Close
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2JS
National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
Castle House 37– 45 Paul Street London EC2A 4LS
Tel: 020 7490 8656
Fax: 020 7251 5020
Email: ndcs@ndcs.org.uk
RNID Midlands
Regency House
97 – 107 Hagley Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B16 8LA
Tel 0808 808 0123
SENSE West (National Deafblind + Rubella Association)
9A Birkdale Avenue
Heeley Road
Selly Oak
Birmingham
B29 6UB
Tel 0121 415 2720
Tinnitus Helpline RNID
Tel 0808 808 0007
Specialist Hearing Aids
If you have a complex hearing loss and require specialist hearing aids you will be referred by your clinician to an external local specialist Audiology service.
How to access the Modality ENT/Audiology service
You be referred for an assessment by your GP
You will see an Audiologist and/or an ENT specialist and have a hearing assessment.
You are welcome to bring a friend or relative to your appointment.
If you are not suitable for routine hearing aids or testing you will be referred to a specialist Audiology department by your ENT specialist.
Tests to expect at your Modality ENT appointment
Every test will be fully explained before proceeding and will only be carried out with your consent.
Ear examination will be carried out and a full history will be taken.
Questions will be asked that are relevant to your problems, areas that are discussed include:
-
Tinnitus – A ringing in the ears
-
Problems with your balance and/or dizziness
-
Any family history of similar problems
-
Duration of your problem and did it happen suddenly or gradually
-
Any trouble you have with hearing
-
Any facial weakness
-
Any exposure to loud noises
-
Any sensitivity to loud sounds
-
Any fuzziness in your hearing
-
General health including any current medication
Hearing test – This involves wearing a pair of head phones and pressing a button every time you hear a tone. The quietest tones you can hear are used to determine any type and nature of hearing loss.
Tympanometry- This procedure looks at the condition of the middle ear and ear drum. The audiologist will place a soft tip in your ear and you will feel a slight change in pressure for a few seconds. This tells us if your ear drum and the bones connected to it are moving properly and also checks the pressure in your middle ear.
Wax removal – If you require wax removal this will be performed by Micro suction where the clinician will gently suction it out under a microscope. If the wax is too hard or it is uncomfortable you will be asked to soften it using an olive oil spray and come back in a fortnight.
Dix-Halpike test – This is a test used to determine the cause of some balance problems, the clinician will ask you about any neck or back problems before proceeding. You will lie down and be asked to make specific head movements and the clinician will monitor your eye movements. When our head moves in one direction, our eyes move in the opposite direction to stabilize the image we are looking at.
Hearing aid impressions – If you require hearing aids and an impression of your ear is needed this is done by softly inserting a cotton sponge halfway down your ear canal and filling the outer part of your ear with a silicone impression material. It only takes a few minutes to set and then will be removed.
Results
The clinician will explain your results to you on the day. They will also discuss all treatment options; these may include referral for further tests or to another specialty. These will also be sent to your GP.
Complex services
If you require further testing or specialist rehabilitation/hearing aids you will be referred to University Hospitals Birmingham’s specialist Audiology service.
Rehabilitation services – These services are for people suffering with problems that need further investigation including bothersome Tinnitus and balance disorders. Tinnitus is managed by a combination of hearing aids and sound therapy, there are also devices available to help you sleep at night. Balance testing and rehabilitation involves further tests, some of these use hot and cold air/water to stimulate your balance organs and monitor the response. Rehabilitation provides you with exercises you can use to teach your body to compensate for the problems you have.
Specialist hearing aids are available on the NHS and come under a number of categories.
-
Behind the ear routing hearing aids. These devices can be used to help you hear in an ear with no hearing. This works by wearing a receiver on the ear with no hearing, this transmits sound to a device worn on the other side in the better ear. By doing this we are essentially giving you you’re hearing from the bad side to the good side.
-
Bone Anchored hearing aids are used where a normal behind the ear hearing aid is not suitable. A small Titanium pin is surgically implanted into the bone behind your ear and a hearing aid is attached to this to amplify sounds. These are used with conductive hearing losses and when patients cannot use anything inside the ear canal for example due to chronic ear infections.
-
Cochlear implants are used where there is a profound hearing loss and no other hearing aid will help. It involves implanting a coil into the organ connected to the hearing nerve and using a processor which stimulates the nerve via electrical impulses allowing you to hear.
Communication needs
If you require an interpreter at your appointment, please telephone Audiology Modality LLP 0121 250 1592 opt 5
Website: www.modalitycommunityservices.com
Useful links
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hearing-aids-and-implants/
https://rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Factsheet_Cochlear-implants_June-2016_v3.pdf
What to Expect During Your Visit
Preparing for your appointment and what to expect during your appointment
You will receive notification of an upcoming appointment with our service.
It is important that you attend your appointment. If the date/time given is not convenient for you, please ensure you give us 3 days’ notice to reschedule. Please note that if you reschedule or cancel your appointment it is likely that you will have to wait longer to receive treatment for your condition.
If you require a chaperone or a translator, please contact us before your appointment
We kindly request that you treat our staff with dignity and respect
Hearing assessment
Hearing tests are used to check for hearing impairment. As deterioration in hearing is usually a gradual process, you may not realise that you even have a hearing loss. There are many reasons why adults might lose their hearing other than natural causes, such as being exposed to loud noises for prolonged periods, ear infections or viruses, head injuries and family genetics.
You will see a qualified Audiologist for about 1 hour. When you attend your hearing assessment appointment, your audiologist will discuss your hearing needs and/or concerns, and take a full clinical history. They will then look in your ears and perform a hearing test (Pure Tone Audiogram) which measures your ability to detect different pitches of sound. If needed they may complete additional diagnostic testing. The audiologist will then develop an individual management plan with you and discuss the results with you during the appointment. If you require hearing aids an appointment will be made for you and you may have impressions taken of your ears.
Types of hearing loss:
Conductive hearing loss are often temporary and possibly corrected by treatment:
· Build-up of ear wax or foreign body in the ear canal
· Perforation of ear drum
· Fluid in the middle ear
· Damage to the bones in the ear due to arthritis or trauma
Sensorineural hearing loss arises from disorders of the cochlea or somewhere along the auditory nerve. They are generally more permanent and can include:
· Congenital defects: problems that you are born with
· Prolonged / sudden exposure to very loud noise
· Meniere’s disease
· Toxic reaction to medication
· Deafness caused by nerve or brain damage, which may be due to an illness or head trauma
The most common type of sensorineural hearing loss is age-related and affects the higher pitches or frequencies of hearing. This can affect general conversation, particularly in background noise, the ability to hear the TV clearly and hearing on the telephone. It is estimated that approximately 10 million people are deaf or hard of hearing in the UK. The number of people with hearing impairment is rising as the proportion of the population over 60 years increases. Once the cause of your hearing impairment has been identified, you will be able to get the right treatment and support, such as a hearing aid
If you are not suitable for a hearing aid, the Audiologist may discuss some listening tactics to help improve day-to-day activities
Hearing aid fitting
You will see a qualified Audiologist for about 1 hour. At your hearing aid fitting appointment, you will receive your NHS hearing aids They will be fitted according to your hearing requirements and the audiologist will ensure that the sound is clear and comfortable.
Your audiologist will work with you to program the hearing aid(s) so that they best meet your needs. We will explain how to use, clean and manage the hearing aids and practice this with you. Finally, we will let you know what to expect from your hearing aids and how best to get used to them. If you would like to use your smart phone to control your hearing settings, please bring this with you to the appointment. You can make an appointment after your hearing aids are fitted if you require any adjustments or spare tubes and batteries.
Information on hearing aid types, specialist listening equipment and support groups is available on our website.
Please contact us if you would like to feedback, raise any concerns or request a second opinion.
Hearing Aid Video Tutorials
How to pair the Multi Mic to Danalogic Ambio and Ambio Smart hearing aids - YouTube
How to pair the Phone Clip + to your Danalogic Ambio and Ambio Smart hearing aids - YouTube
How to clean a slim tube on Actio hearing aids - YouTube
How to pair the TV Streamer to Danalogic Ambio and Ambio Smart hearing aids - YouTube