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The challenges of facemasks for people with hearing loss

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen an exponential increase in the use of face masks. Guidance around the globe varies on the use of face masks as an effective barrier to the coronavirus. Whereas in pre-covid...

Effects of blast and acoustic trauma: assessment of hearing status on war veterans

Introduction Acoustical conditions of the military are often dangerous and there is a real risk of blast trauma and acoustic trauma [1, 2]. Levels of military noises maybe reach up to 125 dBA [3]. Weapons produce instant shock waves (10μs)...

Will it ever happen?

Audiology is a rapidly evolving field, with many exciting developments on the horizon. David Baguley identified some topics of interest, and asked some international experts ‘will it ever happen?’ Gene therapy for deafness After years of development, gene therapy for...

How to identify and support adults with auditory processing disorder: a focus on low-gain devices and auditory training

Some adults struggle with hearing in noise despite normal audiograms. Tools like the HHIA, low-gain devices and auditory training can help identify and support these cases. In this article, Angela Alexander and Fatima Abbas use a case study to discuss...

The role of the respiratory physician in sleep medicine

ENT surgeons may feel that they are the first point of referral for the majority of patients with snoring and possible obstructive sleep apnoea, but in reality a significant number of patients with sleep-disordered breathing (of any cause) are seen...

The James Lind Alliance – involving patients and their health professionals jointly in setting priorities for research

In a world of patient-reported outcomes and patient-centred care, patient-centred research must also be considered. That is where the James Lind Alliance (JLA) comes in, as Caroline Whiting explains below. Through Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs), it allows patients, their carers...

What’s happened since the European position paper on nose and sinus tumours?

The management of malignant sinonasal tumours has gone through radical changes in recent years. Prof Valerie Lund gives us an update based on her upcoming talk at IFOS. In 2010 when we published the European position paper on ‘endoscopic management...

A surgeon’s perspective on the challenges facing cochlear implantation in children

Cochlear implantation in children offers a different set of challenges and goals to adult practice. In this article, Iain Bruce, Professor of Paediatric Otolaryngology in Manchester, UK, explains some of the current clinical and research challenges in paediatric cochlear implantation,...

How trainees can make major contributions to practice

At a time when many of our trainees feel poorly supported and disheartened, the formation of a National ENT Trainee Research Network (Integrate) has been a major advance, enabling them to develop and execute research projects directly relevant to clinical...

Professor Heinz Stammberger’s pioneering contribution and legacy in the field of FESS

It is no exaggeration to say that functional endoscopic sinus surgery would not exist in its current form without Heinz Stammberger. Prof Valerie Lund traces the development of this relatively recent surgical technique. In the early 1980s, a happy combination...