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Call to action: dysphagia matters

Dysphagia profoundly impacts quality of life. Multidisciplinary research, like the POuCH study, aims to improve understanding, diagnosis and treatment. We take for granted the simple joys of life – meeting over a cup of coffee, breaking bread with friends or...

How sight shapes sound: cross-modal plasticity and cochlear implantation

Visual cues support auditory recovery after cochlear implantation, with evidence showing cross-modal plasticity enhances speech perception and rehabilitation outcomes. Traditionally, clinical guidance around cochlear implantation has been shaped by a key concern: that reliance on visual communication, particularly speechreading, might...

GIRFT: improving ENT care through standardised clinical pathways

Clinical pathways can help to ensure consistency of approach and efficient use of resources. We hear about new developments in the UK. Variation in ENT care In today’s data-driven healthcare landscape, significant variation persists in the provision of ENT services...

Getting the message right on hearing loss and dementia

Are we reaching a consensus on how hearing professionals should talk about hearing loss and dementia? In 2024, the British Society of Audiology (BSA), in collaboration with the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) and the British Society of Hearing Aid...

Optimising hearing aid solutions for tinnitus sufferers: essential factors to consider

A tailored approach combining counselling, sensory management and perceptual training can improve the effectiveness of hearing aids in managing tinnitus for individual patients. Hearing aids are useful tinnitus therapy tools, according to tinnitus management guidelines. However, there are few published...

Video-augmented consent in thyroid surgery

Short, procedure-specific thyroid surgery videos improve patient understanding, standardise risk discussions and support informed consent. Background Informed consent is an important principle which underpins modern surgical practice. Patients are given information regarding their medical condition, discussion of the proposed treatment,...

When everyday sounds are unbearable: understanding pain and loudness hyperacusis

Everyday sounds can feel unbearably loud or physically painful for people with hyperacusis, a complex disorder that may require tailored, cautious care. Hyperacusis is a disorder in which everyday sounds are experienced as uncomfortable or intolerable. For some people, sounds...

Rethinking tinnitus ‘care’: the role of digital solutions

Experiencing tinnitus can be very distressing and accessible care is limited. Digital therapeutics is one way of addressing these concerns, as described by Dr Bardy. Tinnitus presents a significant clinical challenge for various healthcare professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), ENTs...

Does hand dominance impact ENT surgeons?

Recognising handedness could help create a more inclusive surgical environment. A team from Imperial College and Cambridge explores the challenges and practical solutions. Surgical disciplines require a high level of fine motor skills. Many procedures in ENT simultaneously challenge a...