Hearing aid manufacturers’ main focus has, up until recently, been improvement of speech intelligibility. Today’s hearing aid users have much broader demands however and often cite improved music perception as a key outcome or goal. Drs Tish Ramirez and Rebecca...
Training continues to change and evolve in the face of changing working practices and, of course, the impact of unprecedented events like the pandemic. The basics remain important for safe practice as training and work continue to evolve; innovative tools...
Dining with family members, amongst the clinking of dishes and glasses, the sounds of conversations and laughter, the husband, a user of hearing aids, misses his wife’s request to bring another bottle of wine. After a third try, the wife,...
Access to hearing assessment is a global challenge. In relation to the global burden of hearing loss World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) recent estimate (2013) is that 360 million people in the world have disabling hearing impairment. Two-thirds of these people...
Hearing aid validation requires that speech discrimination be measured, yet there are no validated methods of measuring speech discrimination in infants and toddlers. Prof Uhler describes two related approaches that are showing promise. Speech discrimination is the gold standard for...
This systematic review from South Korea nicely summarises what we know about SSD (single-sided deafness) and hearing rehabilitation with BAHAs (Bone Anchored Hearing Aids). SSD was defined as a PTA greater than 90 dB and a normal hearing opposite ear...
This article regarding ankyloglossia raises an eyebrow; surely it’s just a snip isn’t it? Seemingly not. The authors describe two types of tongue tie – the first being posterior, with the frenulum being short and tight, the second being anterior,...
There are considerable variations in the management of obstructive sleep apnoea in children and this suggests a need for more research and evidence-based information. In this review article, the authors address four key issues. Literature compares tonsillectomy with tonsillotomy, the...
Why do we have MDTs? Do they make a difference to outcomes? Jon Bernstein explores the whys and wherefores of the head and neck cancer MDT, and wonders where things might go from here… Head and neck (upper aerodigestive tract)...
The search is on for musicians with a hearing implant to be part of an online collaboration. The Virtual Voices and Band project is inviting hearing implant users of all types, countries, abilities and brands to unite by recording a vocal or instrumental performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
Dr Greta Niemann, ENT surgeon, Pretoria The 60th Annual ENT Conference held in Pretoria in November was a remarkable event, skilfully organised and offering an exceptional line-up of international and local speakers. This year’s gathering provided a unique opportunity for...
To celebrate National Apprenticeship week in February 2021, Keiran Joseph interviewed Caroline Jackson, Principal Audiologist at Children and Young Peoples Audiology Centre St Thomas Hospital, and Audiology Assistant Apprentice, Rachael Allan, about the value of the apprenticeship scheme in their...