Widex Super range launched in UK


February 2nd, 2012 by Paul Minikin
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A new range of super power RIC hearing aids has been launched in the UK by Widex called the Widex Super. Designed for severe and profound hearing loss, all the features combined including class leading wireless capabilities makes the Widex Super a real contender in the areas of attaining natural and clear speech without distortion.

The Widex Super is designed to be weather resistant and even with a 675 battery to be stylish, neat and discreet, and to provide all the power you need with a clear crisp sound.

Available in two hearing aid technology levels of premium and mid range (the Super 440 and Super 220 respectively), hearing aid prices are the same as the equivalent in the Clear range ie Widex Super440 is priced the same as the Widex Clear440.

These new hearing aids come fully loaded with the latest renowned C-ISP platform on which the Widex Clear and Clear Fusion are based, including compaitibility with all the DEX range of accessories to make life easier for people with severe or profound hearing loss.

Early users of Widex Super has reported a number of real improvements over previous technology including no whistling at all, using Reverse Focus to hear well in cars and busy situations to great effect, finding the TV-Dex very useful for watching the television without any lip sync problems at all, and being easily able to have conversations on the mobile phone even in busy situations!

The Widex Clear can be fitted with a custom hard tip, a custom soft mould, double domes and tulip domes.

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Widex Clear 440, 330 and 220 now available in ITE and CIC versions


February 1st, 2012 by Paul Minikin
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We have finally had confirmation today that Widex have released the CIC and ITE versions of the Widex Clear range of hearing aids, it’s been a long wait for the custom side of the Widex Clear portfolio to be released, by our reckoning near enough a year later than expected.

The ITE and CIC versions of the Widex Clear have been widely anticipated as the BTE and RIC versions have been well received, particularly the wireless connectivity and accessories side of the technology has been very impressive and demand for the ITE and CIC versions has been strong.

Unfortunately Widex have struggled to get the custom products to a level where they were entirely happy and ready to release but commendably they have resisted pressure to release a product not quite ready for market.

Now we are finally able to supply the Widex Clear custom products we anticipate high demand. The accessories used in conjunction with Widex Clear are about the best in the business, aesthetically and also from a performance point of view.

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Oticon Intiga wins prestigious iF Product Design Award 2012


December 30th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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The new Oticon Intiga has won the internationally recognized iF Product Design Award 2012. Oticon’s latest advanced hearing aid technology was honoured for its outstanding design by the prestigious competition that drew more than 4,000 entries from 48 countries.

“We are pleased that this year’s iF Design Awards have recognized Oticon Intiga as an example of world-class product design,” said Oticon’s General Manager, Alistair Tait. “When we created Intiga, our goal was to design an innovative hearing solution that would maximize first time user acceptance and benefits. We knew that in addition to outstanding audiological performance, lntiga’s look and feel would be critical to attracting first time users. The iF Design Award confirms our belief that Intiga offers first-time users discreet, aesthetically appealing hearing aids.”

Oticon hearing aids are renowned for their technical excellence and great build quality.

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Siemens iMini 301 launched in the UK


December 27th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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Siemens UK have announced an addition to their line of products available to UK customers, the Siemens iMini 301. Up until now the iMini has only been available as a premium product ie at their 701 level, with the introduction of the iMini 301 it brings this type of sub CIC hearing aid to a far wider market.

Expected to retail at around £1095 per ear, Siemens seem to have brought the product to market in response to Phonak launching their Nano sub CIC product at two technology levels, we also understand that Starkey are seriously considering relaunching their SoundLens product at levels below premium to compete in this rapidly developing niche market of very discreet / invisible hearing aids.

The main differences as far as we can tell at this early stage between the iMini 301 and 701 is the 301 has 8 channels as opposed to 10 with the 701 and the 301 does not have the benefit of SoundBrilliance.

The Siemens iMini 301 will be available from 3rd January 2012.

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Widex Super


December 22nd, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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Widex Uk are releasing a new range of super power hearing aids at the end of January that are designed for people with severe and profound hearing loss. Details are limited at present but we will be sure to post information as it gets to us.

Widex hearing aids have a long tradition of packing a punch, their early digital super power P37 and P38 hearing aids were renowned in their time for being the best technology for the hearing aid wearer with profound hearing loss. Recent offerings in this level of hearing loss from Widex UK include the renowned Fusion power RIC product.

Watch this space….

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Unitron enhance range of products


December 15th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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Unitron Uk have enhanced their range of hearing aids with a new Automatic Adaption Manager, some new micro 312 BTE’s for the Quantum range and a new remote control.

The new Automatic Adaption Manager is available across the Moxi and Quantum product families. It transitions hearing aid wearers from first fit acceptance to optimal speech understanding, gradually, gently and automatically.

The new 312 micro BTE’s are available in the Quantum range at all three technology levels, all wireless in an attractive, neat design.

Unitron hearing aids can now benefit from the new remote control which is discreet, offering easy, straightforward control of the essential hearing aid settings, including real time control over listening comfort and clarity.

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Is diving with a perforated eardrum a good idea


December 12th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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With diving, snorkelling, and particularly scuba diving the potential trauma endured by your eardrums by exposing your body to varying pressures can be quite severe, anyone that’s ever been scuba diving will know that to ascend from a few metres down too quickly you can cause severe trauma and even perforation of the eardrums.

Perforated eardrums can heal all by themselves over time, but sometimes surgery is needed to repair a perforated eardrum if the tear is severe enough. A result is often a degree of hearing loss, quite often this is permanent and hearing aids may be required to address that hearing loss.

Care needs to be exercised to avoid this scenario in the way you move about in the water at different varying pressures.

What happens if you already have an existing perforated eardrum, should you go diving then?

It’s not a good idea at all quite frankly, because cold water enters the middle ear, this irritates the organ responsible for our sense of balance. This in turn causes a strong sense of dizziness, a loss of orientation, distorted vision and even unconsciousness.

As an occasional scuba diver myself, I certainly know how important it is to be alert and aware of your surroundings when you are many metres down on the seabed!

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Tinnitus


December 5th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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Tinnitus can be described as noises in the head not related to any psychiatric condition. The noise can be heard anywhere in the head or in one or both ears.

Tinnitus can be constant or intermittent, it can be very loud and noticeable, or just in the background where you are only really aware of it when you think about it or someone draws attention to it. Nobody else but you can hear the noise because it is not generated from an external source. Although you are the only person who can hear the noise it is not a result of your imagination and for some people it can impinge quite drastically on their lives.

Almost all of us experience tinnitus temporarily; perhaps for a few hours after a concert or any other occasion where our ears are subjected to noise. Tinnitus becomes a problem when this noise persists and / or increases. Normally, the ringing in the ears will disappear over time, but it may also become permanent.

Tinnitus is relatively widespread in people over the age of 40, but is becoming more common with younger people too because of increased daily noise levels due to the use of over amplified MP3 players and very loud music from concerts etc.

Although tinnitus is more common among people who suffer from hearing loss, anyone can suffer from tinnitus. It is also possible to suffer from major hearing loss without contracting tinnitus at all. As hearing aid audiologists we often find the hearing aids we supply often reduce the perception of tinnitus, at least while the individual is wearing their hearing aids.

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A basic explanation of the ear and how it works


November 28th, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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The ear is very advanced organ of the human body, if we stop to think about how it works and what it achieves it blows the mind!

The main function of the human ear is to collect sound vibrations all around us, funnel those vibrations down the ear canal through the hearing system to be processed, analysed and interpreted by the brain as the natural soundscape around us.

We take all this for granted from the day we are born and it is only when we start to lose some of this function that we begin to realise what a fantastic job our hearing does for us. Another very important function of our hearing system is to maintain the sense of balance, which is very closely related to our sense of hearing.

So how does it all work in laymans terms? – Sound vibrations travel and are collected from the outer ear and funnelled down the ear canal, hitting the ear drum and causing it to vibrate.

This then causes the three tiny middle ear bones, known as the ossicles, or the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup, in the middle ear to move. The vibrations move through the fluid in the cochlea in the inner ear, stimulating thousands of tiny hair cells.

These hair cells then send nerve impulses to the brain which are interpreted as sound.

Your hearing – a true marvel of nature.

The Causes of Hearing Loss


November 21st, 2011 by Paul Minikin
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There are many causes of hearing loss but the most common we come across as hearing aid audiologists is the general ageing process. Hearing loss is a natural consequence of getting older.

Our hearing starts to drop from our twenties and worsens from our thirties and forties. By the time we reach our eighties more than half of us suffer from significant hearing loss. Despite this a significant percentage of people with hearing loss are of working age due to other factors.

The next most common factor in hearing loss is exposure to excessive noise. We live in a noisy world and noise can come from our work or hobbies, such as using guns or listening to loud music at rock concerts, night clubs, discos and from stereos – with or without the use of headphones. The increasing use of portable MP3 players at levels so loud as to cause damage is increasing.
Hearing loss may also occur as a result of disease, infections or drugs. It may be inherited or be a result of physical damage to the ears or serious injuries to the head.

Hearing loss can either be conductive (related to the middle ear or ear drum) or sensorineural (related to the hearing nerve itself). Some people suffer from both, then we call it a mixed hearing loss.

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