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Wellbeing – a Scandinavian perspective

The Swedish concept of ‘fika’ is a state of mind and can help to promote wellbeing in teams. But what is it, and how can it help? It is an interesting thought that being well is not the same as...

Muscle tension dysphagia: an underdiagnosed problem

In this article, the authors introduce the description of swallowing problems which have been recently attributed to muscle tension dysphagia (MTDg). The authors are clear that this is a diagnosis of exclusion, and it is important to rule out other...

Developing principles of swallow rehabilitation using novel animal modelling

Never let it be said that we don’t cover a wide range of topics. Camilla Dawson tells us about the crossover between swallowing in seals and in humans. Rehabilitation of swallow is complex, informed by anatomical and physiological systems and...

Making sense of modern wireless hearing aid technologies

Before diving into the topic of the technology behind wireless hearing aids, it is important to define two key concepts. The first is wireless frequency. This is the frequency at which a wireless signal is transmitted. In the context of...

A parent’s journey: beyond the diagnosis

Tamsin Coates lives in Wallesey, UK and talks about coming to terms with the difficulties and joys of having two deaf children. Here she explains about the early days and the impact of their diagnosis upon the family. Thinking back...

Audiological and psychological consequences of single-sided deafness

The loss of sound input from one ear has a significant impact on our perception of our acoustic environment. This impact is compounded in adverse listening conditions. Rachel Knappett’s article explores the audiological impact of this hearing loss and the...

Human immunodeficiency virus and hearing impairment

With an estimated 36.7 million individuals living with HIV / AIDS and literature reporting that these conditions contribute to hearing loss, it is surprising that more focus and resources are not employed to tackle this major hearing health concern. Yolandé...

In space no-one can hear you scream…or can they?

Plasma, eardrums the size of planets and questioning the wisdom of your school physics teacher! Martin Archer explains the fascinating world of sound and space. Is there sound in space? If you believed the marketing of the movie Alien, or...

Precision and personalised genomic and epigenomic medicine in audiology/hearing loss

A detailed look at the pathogenesis of acquired hearing loss due to exposure to ototoxicity during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Insights from genomic medicine have shown that, along with environmental factors causing epigenetic alterations, hearing loss may be caused...

Hearing loss prevention in musicians - violating one rule of physics

Whilst enjoying music, we also need to be mindful of the potential effect of producing music for the musician. Dr Chasin discusses the development of earplugs for the industry with the added bonus of physics for party goers! Hearing protection,...

Enhancing the pure-tone average calculation method for reporting hearing outcomes: the need for a transition to the logarithmic mean

Comparing studies requires common approaches. Ali Faramarzi takes a moment to consider how to tackle the presentation of audiometric data in publications. Uniformity in reporting hearing outcomes is paramount for accurate evaluation and comparison of hearing-related research. Standardised guidelines are...