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Sniffing out the evidence – COVID-19 and loss of sense of smell and taste

Louis Pasteur once observed: “In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.” Professor Hopkins was certainly prepared when a few anecdotes of smell problems started to accumulate early in the pandemic’s course. Post-viral olfactory loss is nothing...

Old age is hard to swallow

This article takes us through the diagnosis and management of swallowing problems common in older age. As our global population continues to grow and live longer, dysphagia will continue to be a global problem which needs to be recognised, understood...

Roshna Rose Paul: interview between trainee and senior surgeon

Professor Paul has been heavily involved with training and educating multiple cohorts of ENT trainees over the years, since 2010. In this article, Mr Reid (a current ENT registrar from the West Midlands) picks her brains. Prof Roshna Rose Paul....

Scientific advances in mapping syndromic hearing loss

From more than 22000 genes that we humans have, approximately 3000 genes are associated with human communication. There are tens of syndromes which have been identified to be accompanied by hearing loss. Disorders of almost every organ of the body...

Adolescence, drug use and body image

Teenagers are notoriously conscious of how they are perceived by others. Dr Saraiva and colleagues explain how this can lead to problems with substance abuse for both boys and girls, and discuss the different substances they may encounter. Adolescence is...

Long-term outcomes of children and young people with cochlear implants

Introduction Profound childhood hearing loss has a huge impact on early communication skills, the acquisition of spoken language, and hence on educational attainments and employment prospects. Over the centuries, educators of the deaf attempted to overcome the challenge by using...

MDT clinics for adults with learning disabilities and hearing loss

Healthcare providers can have limitations and challenges providing optimum care for patients with intellectual disabilities. Siobhan Brennan and Susanna Goodhart highlight key professionals and carers who may be instrumental when trying to deliver good management and care along with other...

Mind the gap – developing a sustainable pipeline for hearing therapeutics

In this article, the authors describe three key challenges faced in developing hearing therapeutics. Collaboration between companies, sectors and disciplines will be key to finding solutions. The unmet need for therapies for hearing loss grows apace, with prevalence rising across...

RNID’s campaign to restore NHS earwax removal services in the UK

Wax removal in the UK has become a topic of intense discussion. Here, Crystal Rolfe discusses the RNID’s findings and approach to tackling the issue. Earwax build-up can cause painful and distressing symptoms – a 2022 RNID survey found people...

Hyperacusis and autism spectrum disorder

Several different auditory deficits have been found to be co-morbidities of ASD. This article reviews literature with respect to the relationship between hyperacusis and ASD. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be characterised as a neurodevelopmental condition that is marked by...

Optimising hearing aid processing for music appreciation

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...