Have you heard...Ear Wax

Earwax is a waxy material that is produced by sebaceous glands inside the ear. It cleans, lubricates and protects the lining of the ear by trapping dirt and repelling water. 

Earwax is slightly acidic and has antibacterial properties. Without earwax, the skin inside your ear would become dry, cracked, infected or waterlogged and sore.

Earwax can be wet or dry and hard or soft. Soft earwax is more common in children and hard earwax is more likely to cause problems. Dry earwax is golden and flaky and more common in people of Asian origin.

Earwax problems

Earwax doesn't usually cause problems. However, producing too much earwax can lead to a blocked and painful ear or hearing loss.

Having repeated ear infections, flaky skin near your ear, or hair in your ear canals can also put you at risk of developing problems with your earwax.

Every year in the UK, over two million people have problems with earwax and need it removed.
To reduce your risk of developing problems with your ears, avoid putting objects in your ears, such as cotton buds, matchsticks and hairpins.

As well as risking damage to your ear canal or eardrum, sticking things in your ears can result in earwax becoming lodged in your ear canal.

When to see your GP

Visit your GP if you are having problems with earwax. If you have a large amount of earwax, it may need to be removed.

Earwax can usually be removed using eardrops. If eardrops don't work, another treatment called ear irrigation may be recommended. It involves using a pressurised flow of water to remove the build-up of earwax.

Do not attempt to remove earwax yourself, without first speaking to your GP.

Have you heard...History of Hearing Aids

The first documented evidence of the existence and use of a hearing aid dates back to the 16^th century. Its inventor is unknown but many sources from that time discuss several hearing aid devices. In 1588, in his book Magia Naturalis, Giovanni Porta describes hearing aids in the form of animal ears. Later on, other sources talk about horns, trumpets, speaking tubes and various devices worn around the body. However, these were hardly mass manufactured but more likely custom made for specific clients.

In 1800, Frederick C. Rein established in London the first company for commercial manufacture of hearing aids. The hearing aids he offered were non-electric and include acoustic urns, speaking tubes and ear trumpets.

Soon after, in 1836, Alphonsus William Webster patented a curved earpiece worn behind the ear, known as the first British patent for a hearing aid.  Even more patents were issued in the upcoming decades. One belonged to James A. Maloney for his ear trumpet with a diaphragm earpiece in 1887. With the beginning of the 20^th century hearing aid research and the associated industry developed rapidly. In 1923, vacuum tube hearing aids were introduced and in 1934 they were upgraded to operate with batteries.

In the early 1950s, the vacuum tube hearing aids were replaced with the transistor hearing aids. These led on to the development of the behind the ear and the eyeglass temples models, which in 1954 were already electronic. In 1955, in the ear hearing aid was introduced.

From the 1970s onwards, the hearing aid models began to resemble the modern devices for hearing impairment we know today. The introduction of the electret/FET microphone played an important role in every hearing aid thatmeant that the receiver and the microphone could be kept in one case as forbehind the ear, in the ear and in the canal hearing aids.

The invention of in the canal hearing aid in 1983 was followed by the completely in the canal hearing aid introduced in 1993. Soon after, in 1996, the first successful digital hearing aid device was a fact.
By 2005, 90% of the hearing aid fittings used digital signal processing technology as opposed to the analogue technology.

Nowadays, hearing aids are various and come in many different shapes and sizes including behind the ear, in the ear, in the canal, completely in the canal, open fits, receiver in the ear, body worn, bone conduction, CROS, BiCROS and disposable hearing aids.

New research could forge future cure for hearing loss

New research funded by Action on Hearing Loss has brought scientists closer to being able to trigger the regeneration of damaged cells in the inner ear and gives hope to the 10 million people in the UK affected by a hearing loss that a cure can be found.
 
Most hearing loss is caused by the loss of sensory hair cells in the inner ear that detect sound vibrations. The human ear cannot replace these cells, so hearing loss is permanent - but remarkably, zebrafish can regenerate these cells and were used in the study to discover drugs that may lead to the restoration of hearing.

Researchers tested 1680 different drugs and discovered two that enhance the regeneration of sensory hair cells in zebrafish and six drugs that block or slow regeneration.
Professor Rubel who led the study at University of Washington said: ‘This study demonstrates that it is possible to screen large libraries of compounds to find drugs and drug targets that influence hair cell regeneration. It provides some useful targets for future studies. Moreover, it demonstrated the usefulness of and extension of this approach to screen a much wider range of compounds.’

‘Discovering compounds or drugs able to influence regeneration is important as it will help us understand the biological processes involved, providing clues as to how we might be able to trigger regeneration in the human ear. The drugs discovered so far have been shown to interfere with cell division suggesting that the ability of cells to divide in a damaged ear will be key to triggering regeneration.’

Dr Ralph Holme, Head of Biomedical Research at Action on Hearing Loss said: ‘We are very excited by this research as it opens the door to the possibility that drugs able to trigger the regeneration of hair cells in the inner ear will be found in the future, revolutionising the way hearing loss is currently treated.’

Have You Heard...Hearing Loss

Hearing loss, or deafness, is the partial or total inability to hear sound in one or both ears.

The human ear is amazing. It is one of the smallest and most complex organs in the body, capable of turning the tiniest disturbances in air molecules into a form the brain can understand - and doing so instantaneously, over an enormous range of pitch and loudness. Considering the ear's delicacy, it is remarkably resilient. Nevertheless, illness or injury can impair our ability to hear properly.
In recent years, substantial advances have made it possible to determine the cause of hearing impairment in nearly all cases, and to treat the hearing loss in many ears.

How Does Hearing Loss Affect One's Life?

Virtually no condition in medicine can have as profound an effect on quality of life as even moderate hearing loss in some people.
Hearing loss makes even routine communication difficult. High frequency hearing loss often involves loss of ability to hear consonants such as s, f, t, and z, even though vowels can be heard normally. Consequently, people hear but cannot make out what is being said.
This may result in frustration, withdrawal from social activities, depression, and marital discord. People lose the ability to take in the sounds like bird songs, rustling of leaves, and the voices of children. In general, these infringements on the quality of life can be overcome through medical or surgical treatment or with hearing aids.
When hearing loss occurs early in childhood, its devastating consequences are more obvious than when it occurs late in life. A hearing deficit in infants can interfere with psychological, emotional, and speech development. It also makes learning a mammoth task and can cause frustration or isolation.
Even more mild forms of hearing loss early in life can cause great difficulties, including poor attention and bad grades in school. Frequently, such children are considered "not too bright," before anyone realizes that a hearing loss is present. When it is corrected, the changes in the child's performance, attitude, and interactions are often remarkable.

Key facts

• In 2004, over 275 million people globally had moderate-to-profound hearing impairment, 80% of them in low- and middle-income countries.
• Infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles, mumps and chronic ear infections can lead to hearing impairment. Other common causes include exposure to excessive noise, head and ear injury, ageing and the use of ototoxic drugs.
• Half of all cases of deafness and hearing impairment are avoidable through primary prevention.
• A large percentage can be treated through early diagnosis and suitable management.
• Depending on the cause of hearing loss, it may be treated medically, surgically or through devices such as hearing aids and Cochlear Implants.
• Production of hearing aids meets less than 10% of global need. In developing countries, fewer than 1 out of 40 people who need a hearing aid have one.

Newspaper information piece; "Have You Heard"

Each and every single week from Friday 27th onwards Bexhill Hearing Centre will be dispensing a little bit of knowledge in the Bexhill, Hastings, Rye and Battle Observers as well as the local Resident. Tiny snippets of information about the world of hearing, to remind our customers that our knowledge and advice is always available.

From the latest audio technology to hearing loss management, there will be something for everyone, whether you suffer from a hearing loss or not.

Items to be covered in the first 6 weeks include: (in no particular order)

Hearing loss; why it happens
Ear Wax maintenance
History of Hearing Aids
Coping with Tinnitus
Waterproof Hearing
Ototoxicity

We are hoping that the articles will become Blog like, allowing the public to follow the story. They will also be teamed up with further information here and on our website (www.BexhillHearingCentre.com) so that more complete information can be provided.