Latest news with #audiology
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Blackpool children's hearing services halted over safety failings
Concerns over safety have led to children's hearing services in Blackpool being suspended, pending an in-depth part of that investigation, all youngsters treated by the service over the past five years will now be reviewed.A previous inspection found serious safety failings including under-qualified staff and missing have been halted immediately, affecting children under three in acute care and children under four in community services, along with all school services. The concerns were first sparked after an initial assessment via the nationwide Improving Quality in Physiological Services standards, which was then followed by a visit by the local integrated care has led to the creation of a task force which is looking into an action plan as part of the five-year review. The children's audiology service is run by the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Blackpool Victoria Hospital, but it is managed by a nursing team based at St Anne's Primary Care Teaching Hospitals said it had begun a review of paediatric audiology services as part of a national improvement programme, after issues were found in services nationally. "We have taken the decision to pause our community-based children's hearing services in Blackpool while we review cases to understand whether any of our patients may need further assessment and this work is ongoing," a spokesperson said. They said families of any children believed to need further assessment would be contacted "in coming weeks". "We're sorry for any concerns that families and carers may have. This will take a little time but we are determined to get this right for patients," they added."In the meantime, whilst the community children's service is paused, families who need audiology support will be seen by the audiology service at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to make sure they get the help they need."The latest developments follow a nationally-led investigation which has seen NHS hearing services in children's departments across England being scrutinised in 2023 and 2024 after concerns were raised about the standard of children's hearing services in both England and Scotland. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Growing number of young adults seek treatment for hearing loss, Bay Area doctors say
A growing number of young adults are grappling with a health issue they once thought was decades away: hearing loss. Being in a noisy city soundscape, or even a quiet environment, Dr. Rebekah Chang began to notice in her mid-forties that it was getting harder to hear. "You just don't know what people are saying. Maybe it will be a noisy time for a dinner, or when you're out with your friends for lunch," Chang told CBS News Bay Area. Chang is a Kaiser Permanente family medicine doctor now in her 50's. These days, she's hearing conversations more clearly with the assistance of hearing aids. "It's called Phonak Audeo. It's pretty small. It's rechargeable. It's got a little base for recharging," said Chang. Audiologists said younger adults are increasingly adopting hearing aids, motivated by tech advances and rising awareness of early hearing damage. Dr. Sara Rittweger is a supervising audiologist at Kaiser Permanente. "Technology has gotten so much better than what it used to be, that the criterion for people needing a hearing aid or wanting a hearing aid has also opened up too," said Rittweger. Dr. Sara Rittweger, an audiologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, performs a hearing test on a patient. CBS Hearing aid fittings from 2017–2021 show people aged 22–54 increased by about 14%, according to manufacturer Phonak. Audiologists said over the counter devices for mild to moderate hearing loss, including certain Apple Airpods, following FDA approval in late 2022, are leading to even more younger adults seeking care. "As people are recognizing these as options, I think actually more people are becoming more motivated to seek more professional or a higher level of care," said Rittweger. Chang says the stigma of hearing aids associated with older people that she was first concerned about, has waned. "In my mid 40s, it was a little vanity. I really didn't want to wear hearing aids that people could see," said Chang. A Johns Hopkins study indicates nearly 27 million Americans age 50 and older have hearing loss, but only one in seven uses a hearing aid. "I have been wearing these for several years," Chang said. "Hopefully I can help change that stigma a little bit. I really embrace it." It's made life better for Rebecca. She's hoping others will hear her message. A recent Johns Hopkins study also found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia. If you think you're experiencing some hearing loss, experts say to schedule a hearing test with an audiologist.
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Get some earplugs – and never remove wax at home: 16 ways to protect your hearing, chosen by audiologists
Hearing loss can make life difficult and lead to social isolation. But with extremely loud devices in our pockets, and earbuds in near-constant use, we are at more risk than ever. How can you take care of your ears to avoid problems? 'People tend to think it's a bit of fun if someone mishears,' says Kevin Munro, a professor of audiology and director of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness at the University of Manchester. From a young age it became apparent that Munro could not hear in his right ear, and in recent years he has experienced hearing loss in his left ear and started wearing a hearing aid – 'so I have skin in the game', he says. 'Most of us don't have hearing loss when we are young, but we all need to understand the importance of being able to communicate well and not have hearing difficulty. I think that could get rid of some of the stigma that is associated with hearing loss.' Hearing loss affects 42% of people over the age of 50, increasing to 71% of people over 70, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 'For the majority of people, it is a gradual change over their lifetime,' says Munro. 'What happens is they'll get to the stage where they think everyone is mumbling. So they're blaming everyone else. And then the people they live with say, 'Why have you got the television so loud? And why am I always having to repeat myself?' That's the time to sit up and take notice, because it is affecting all the people you love and spend time with.' One billion young people are at risk from avoidable hearing loss, says Dr Siobhán Brennan, Munro's colleague at the University of Manchester, a lead clinical scientist at Sheffield teaching hospitals and chair of the British Society of Audiology. This is because 'devices are so much better than they used to be in terms of the quality of the sound', she says. 'Back in the 1980s, when we had cassette players, there was a limit to how much you would turn up the volume, because it would be distorted and horrible. These days you can go louder and louder, and the quality is great. So we are finding an increase worldwide in noise-induced hearing loss. 'When I started my career,' says Munro, 'we knew one of the biggest risk factors for hearing loss was damage from noise – but that was usually occupational noise, when there were lots of factories in heavy industry. The concern nowadays is recreational noise and young people listening to music on headphones.' 'Loud noise is one of the most predominant causes of hearing loss in young people,' says Renee Almeida, the adult audiology clinical lead at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London. All of us need to take care when exposed to sounds over 85 decibels (dB): for reference, a lawnmower is 90-95 dB; a concert or club around 110-120 dB. 'The louder it gets, the less time you have to be exposed for to ensure damage.' So it's best to avoid loud noise altogether. This might mean not standing next to the speakers at gigs. 'Everyone has left a concert with some ringing in the ears for a few days,' says Almeida. This, she explains, is because 'the stapedius muscle in the inner ear contracts in order to protect the cochlea – the part of the inner ear essential for hearing. The muscle ends up in spasm, which is why we end up with temporary tinnitus.' When Brennan – who previously trained as a sound engineer – goes to see live music, she always wears earplugs: 'It is important that ear protection fits correctly. They come in different sizes, and you can get custom-made earplugs.' Munro recommends musician's earplugs, which he used himself at a recent Bruce Springsteen gig. 'The ones that have been designed for musicians have a filter in them and it just turns everything down, like lowering the volume on your television a little bit without distorting it.' 'The problem is that everybody has these really loud gadgets in their pockets and the world is a noisy place,' says Dr Jay Jindal, an audiologist and the owner of Planet Audiology, which has clinics in London, Surrey and Kent. 'You could be sensible about how loud it is in your ear in a quiet environment, but as soon as you go into a noisy environment, you inevitably put the volume high without realising that it could be too high for your ears. I spend my life telling people the 50/50 rule – which means that you listen to 50% of the volume on your headphones for 50 minutes, and that seems to be a safe limit for most things.' The World Health Organization (WHO) advises 60% for 60 minutes. 'One of the things that we really notice in audiology,' says Brennan, 'is that people are unaware of the hearing loss they may have – and are missing things without realising. It takes people on average about 10 years between developing hearing difficulties and seeking help.' There are lots of places to take a hearing test, Brennan says, such as the WHO app or the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) site. 'There are three-minute tests that you can do. You don't need a soundproof room; you can do it at home using your own device. They will say either everything's fine, or there may be evidence here of a hearing loss.' That's when you should see a doctor for a more thorough investigation. 'If you went to bed all right, and you wake up and one ear is completely deaf or there is severe hearing loss, you should go to your GP or to a hospital,' says Munro. 'If there is inflammation in your inner ear, then getting steroids into your body as soon as you can is the best way of trying to reduce that.' Otherwise, there is a risk of permanent damage. 'Some people have ear infections more frequently than others,' says Brennan. 'If you are getting them repeatedly, there could be an underlying reason. Go along to your GP, who may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.' 'Taking good care of the ears is not using cotton buds,' says Almeida. 'Leave the ears to maintain their natural oil.' This can help avoid ear infections, 'because dry skin can easily break, and even a fingernail can cause irritation and infection.' Almeida advocates drying the ears after a shower or swim, 'when the ears are a bit wet, and nobody really likes that sensation – so get a piece of toilet paper or muslin on your little finger and give it a good wipe.' Only go as far in as the finger can go. It is normal for it to come out a bit yellow, she says. 'Beyond that, leave it for nature.' 'Wax in itself is not a bad thing,' says Brennan. 'It is a protective mechanism. It keeps the ears healthy, generally speaking, and it does migrate out by itself. It is one of those phenomena that has a bad reputation, because sometimes it gets stuck.' 'Having wax in the ear doesn't mean that your ear is unhealthy or unhygienic,' adds Jindal. 'Research suggests that wax has an enzyme which can kill bacteria and viruses going into the ear, and it moisturises the skin as well. So wax is actually a more helpful thing than not.' 'Syringing … can cause a lot of problems in the ears,' says Jindal. Almeida explains: 'You can apply too much pressure or too little pressure, hoping that the water is going to pass the wax and flush it out, so it is hit and miss. That's why it is dangerous, because you might have an infection and you don't know about it until it is too late, or you can cause a perforation of the eardrum with the pressure. Microsuction is much more gentle and guided; you can stop at any time.' Brennan notes that there is availability from the NHS for wax removal: 'There are some audiology or ear, nose and throat departments that will offer it. And there are still some GP surgeries that offer it. However, it is certainly not as widespread as it used to be.' Outside the NHS, there is now not much regulation around who can carry out wax removal, so it is worth asking your GP for advice on where to get it done, the experts say. 'Having a hearing aid, you are more likely to be in tune with what is going on in the world,' says Almeida. Hearing aids that are available on the NHS are 'amazing', she says – 'I am very proud to say that.' The technology has improved a great deal, with even AI and 'invisible' models on the market now – although not on the NHS. They are a lot less prone to problems like whistling, says Brennan. Munro says: 'Remember, you need good hearing to be able to communicate well, and hearing aids can address this. If you don't hear well, you're not able to stay socially connected to others. And if you're not socially connected and you can't have good-quality social interactions, this leads to isolation: you get anxious, you get withdrawn, you can be depressed, and that is not good for your health at all. For healthy ageing, you want to be able to remain socially connected.' If your ear feels blocked, olive oil-based ear drops are an option. 'For some people, they work well,' Brennan says. 'But use them in moderation and according to what it says on the packet. Speaking to a GP is a good start because if your ear feels blocked, it may not be wax; it could be an infection, which you're going to want to approach in a different way.' There are times when oil does more harm than good, says Jindal. 'Oil can close the pores of the skin, so the skin stops breathing, and if you already have an existing problem with the skin, then it doesn't go in your favour.' 'Swimming in a pool is OK for most people,' says Jindal. 'If they have ear-related issues, they will benefit from wearing earplugs. There are some over-the-counter earplugs, which are quite cheap. Or they can go to their nearest audiologist and get customised swim plugs made.' For people prone to ear problems, swimming in open water can be more problematic than doing pool lengths, because 'the water is more contaminated rather than regulated'. 'Tinnitus is ringing or buzzing,' says Almeida. 'It is described as a perception of sound, when no external sound is around. Very rarely, it can be caused by changes in blood flow or muscle contractions, but it is ultimately generated by the brain's auditory system. Hearing loss and tinnitus go hand in hand because by lacking hearing, the brain then notices the tinnitus.' It can be related to problems with the jaw, teeth or tense muscles around the neck, Almeida adds. 'The treatment options depend on what we find. If there is a hearing loss, hearing aids are always going to be the first port of call.' A visit to the dentist might also be an idea. Dehydration may be a factor: 'People say, 'When I wake up, the tinnitus is very loud, and the moment I have a glass of water, it's fine.' The ears are filled with liquid, and the whole body dehydrates at nighttime.' Brennan adds that there's some evidence to suggest cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for reducing the impact of tinnitus. 'Your ear controls your hearing and your balance,' says Munro. 'So if something goes wrong with your ear, it might also affect your balance. As we get older, the balance organ in our ear will not work as well as it used to. Your inner ear, where your cochlea is for your hearing and your semicircular canals for your balance, relies on a really good blood supply – but it is where the blood vessels are the smallest in the body, which is why people might end up with a vestibular problem.' If your ears feel blocked or painful when on an aeroplane, 'swallowing something helps, because that creates positive pressure inside the ear', says Jindal. 'Sipping a glass of water or juice, or sucking a sweet, may be helpful. There is a special balloon you can blow up with your nose rather than your mouth, which seems to help. And blowing the nose in general is a good thing.' This article was amended on 25 June 2025 to add the information that 'invisible' and AI-enabled hearing aids are not yet available on the NHS. Also, ear syringing is not banned in the UK as stated in an earlier version, but the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence does not recommend it.
Globe and Mail
26-06-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Does your kid use headphones or earbuds? These four tips can help keep young ears safe
No matter where you look these days, people are using headphones or earbuds. Whether for school, work or leisure, they seem to have become a necessary accessory for adults and children alike. However, experts say using headphones or earbuds at high volumes for too long can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. And while this can happen at any age, there's growing concern about the impact on young ears. A 2022 study published in the journal BMJ Global Health found that unsafe listening practices – from both personal listening devices and loud entertainment venues – could place more than 1 billion people aged 12-34 at risk of hearing loss. No, your teen shouldn't rot in front of a screen all summer Valerie Simard, an audiologist and clinical manager of communication disorders and otolaryngology at SickKids in Toronto, said she has seen more children come to SickKids with hearing problems in recent years than in the past. Prolonged exposure to loud noise can permanently damage the hair cells in the cochlea – the inner part of the ear – which are essential for hearing, explained Simard. Tweens and teens are at high risk because they spend so much time using headphones or earbuds for gaming, listening to music or social media. But younger children can also be vulnerable since their auditory systems are still developing and their ear canals are smaller, meaning it takes less noise to cause damage. Some people may also develop hypersensitivity to sound, said Dr. Anne Woolliams, a registered audiologist and owner of Soundwave Hearing Care, a hearing loss clinic with several sites in Alberta. She said her clinics are seeing more kids with this issue, especially those who spend a lot of time gaming. 'They game eight, 10 hours a day where they're wearing noise-cancelling headphones,' Dr. Woolliams said. This means when they take their headphones off, it can be harder to process typical sounds in the world around them. Is your kid 18? Here are 11 life skills they should have mastered by now Fortunately, experts say using headphones or earbuds is not all bad. In fact, early exposure to literacy resources and music with headphones can be a good auditory training tool for the brain if used in moderation, explained Dr. Woolliams. However, following practices that can help minimize the risks and protect hearing is crucial. Limit the volume and take breaks Both Simard and Dr. Woolliams suggest following the 60-60 rule: listening at 60 percent of the device's maximum volume for 60 minutes, followed by a break. For younger kids, Simard advises parents to activate the volume control on devices. 'Teenagers can easily override these, but for the younger kids, it's a good option,' she said. Another strategy Simard advocates is the arms-length test: 'Someone listening under headphones or using earbuds should still be able to hear a speaker at arm's length speaking at a normal conversational level.' Don't use them to drown out background noise Dr. Susan Scollie, a professor in the faculty of health sciences and director of the National Centre for Audiology at the University of Western Ontario, says cranking the volume to cover up background noise – such as on a noisy subway or plane – increases the risk of damage. 'What's a better idea is headphones that actually physically block the sound or that have the noise reduction built into the headphones, rather than making the music louder,' she said. Three money topics to tackle with your teenager as university acceptance letters arrive However, Dr. Scollie said, people should consider what type of device is best suited to the environment they're in. For example, if you are walking down the street and need to be able to hear the sound of traffic, then regular earbuds – which still allow some background noise to be heard – are preferable to noise-reducing headphones. Be intentional about when to use them Dr. Woolliams, who is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia's school of audiology and speech sciences, encourages people to be intentional about how and when they use personal listening devices. 'Use the headphones when you want to study and focus, but if you're having a conversation with someone, take it off, take breaks,' she said. 'Especially with earbuds, don't just have them lingering in your ear. Use them actively and then when you don't need them, take them out, because even just having a dead earbud in your ear, you're blocking the normal signal of the world coming in.' For the youth and adolescent brain, she said, this can lead to hypersensitivity to sound, delays or atypical auditory processing skills and hearing loss in one ear. Recognize the signs of hearing loss While prevention is the best medicine, it's also important to recognize the early signs of noise-induced hearing loss or hypersensitivity, so you know when to seek help. According to Dr. Woolliams, the signs can be subtle but if a kid is complaining that things are too loud, struggling to hear or taking longer to process information – it may be time to go see an audiologist. Other signs include asking for frequent repetitions, complaining that the sound is muffled or experiencing a ringing in the ears, called tinnitus. But Simard cautions that it can take a long time for the impact of hearing loss to become noticeable, which is why safe listening education for youth is key. Dr. Scollie agrees it's important to talk to kids about how to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. 'My kids both wear earbuds all the time. I can't make them not, they're teenagers. I've talked with them about safety from two points of view, one is not getting hit by a car and two is not damaging your hearing.' She puts her advice simply: 'Don't crank it up too loud, don't listen to it for too long, but enjoy it when you are.'
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Get some earplugs – and never remove wax at home: 16 ways to protect your hearing, chosen by audiologists
Hearing loss can make life difficult and lead to social isolation. But with extremely loud devices in our pockets, and earbuds in near-constant use, we are at more risk than ever. How can you take care of your ears to avoid problems? 'People tend to think it's a bit of fun if someone mishears,' says Kevin Munro, a professor of audiology and director of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness at the University of Manchester. From a young age it became apparent that Munro could not hear in his right ear, and in recent years he has experienced hearing loss in his left ear and started wearing a hearing aid – 'so I have skin in the game', he says. 'Most of us don't have hearing loss when we are young, but we all need to understand the importance of being able to communicate well and not have hearing difficulty. I think that could get rid of some of the stigma that is associated with hearing loss.' Hearing loss affects 42% of people over the age of 50, increasing to 71% of people over 70, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 'For the majority of people, it is a gradual change over their lifetime,' says Munro. 'What happens is they'll get to the stage where they think everyone is mumbling. So they're blaming everyone else. And then the people they live with say, 'Why have you got the television so loud? And why am I always having to repeat myself?' That's the time to sit up and take notice, because it is affecting all the people you love and spend time with.' One billion young people are at risk from avoidable hearing loss, says Dr Siobhán Brennan, Munro's colleague at the University of Manchester, a lead clinical scientist at Sheffield teaching hospitals and chair of the British Society of Audiology. This is because 'devices are so much better than they used to be in terms of the quality of the sound', she says. 'Back in the 1980s, when we had cassette players, there was a limit to how much you would turn up the volume, because it would be distorted and horrible. These days you can go louder and louder, and the quality is great. So we are finding an increase worldwide in noise-induced hearing loss. 'When I started my career,' says Munro, 'we knew one of the biggest risk factors for hearing loss was damage from noise – but that was usually occupational noise, when there were lots of factories in heavy industry. The concern nowadays is recreational noise and young people listening to music on headphones.' 'Loud noise is one of the most predominant causes of hearing loss in young people,' says Renee Almeida, the adult audiology clinical lead at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London. All of us need to take care when exposed to sounds over 85 decibels (dB): for reference, a lawnmower is 90-95 dB; a concert or club around 110-120 dB. 'The louder it gets, the less time you have to be exposed for to ensure damage.' So it's best to avoid loud noise altogether. This might mean not standing next to the speakers at gigs. 'Everyone has left a concert with some ringing in the ears for a few days,' says Almeida. This, she explains, is because 'the stapedius muscle in the inner ear contracts in order to protect the cochlear – the part of the inner ear essential for hearing. The muscle ends up in spasm, which is why we end up with temporary tinnitus.' When Brennan – who previously trained as a sound engineer – goes to see live music, she always wears earplugs: 'It is important that ear protection fits correctly. They come in different sizes, and you can get custom-made earplugs.' Munro recommends musician's earplugs, which he used himself at a recent Bruce Springsteen gig. 'The ones that have been designed for musicians have a filter in them and it just turns everything down, like lowering the volume on your television a little bit without distorting it.' 'The problem is that everybody has these really loud gadgets in their pockets and the world is a noisy place,' says Dr Jay Jindal, an audiologist and the owner of Planet Audiology, which has clinics in London, Surrey and Kent. 'You could be sensible about how loud it is in your ear in a quiet environment, but as soon as you go into a noisy environment, you inevitably put the volume high without realising that it could be too high for your ears. I spend my life telling people the 50/50 rule – which means that you listen to 50% of the volume on your headphones for 50 minutes, and that seems to be a safe limit for most things.' The World Health Organization (WHO) advises 60% for 60 minutes. 'One of the things that we really notice in audiology,' says Brennan, 'is that people are unaware of the hearing loss they may have – and are missing things without realising. It takes people on average about 10 years between developing hearing difficulties and seeking help.' There are lots of places to take a hearing test, Brennan says, such as the WHO app or the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) site. 'There are three-minute tests that you can do. You don't need a soundproof room; you can do it at home using your own device. They will say either everything's fine, or there may be evidence here of a hearing loss.' That's when you should see a doctor for a more thorough investigation. 'If you went to bed all right, and you wake up and one ear is completely deaf or there is severe hearing loss, you should go to your GP or to a hospital,' says Munro. 'If there is inflammation in your inner ear, then getting steroids into your body as soon as you can is the best way of trying to reduce that.' Otherwise, there is a risk of permanent damage. 'Some people have ear infections more frequently than others,' says Brennan. 'If you are getting them repeatedly, there could be an underlying reason. Go along to your GP, who may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.' 'Taking good care of the ears is not using cotton buds,' says Almeida. 'Leave the ears to maintain their natural oil.' This can help avoid ear infections, 'because dry skin can easily break, and even a fingernail can cause irritation and infection.' Almeida advocates drying the ears after a shower or swim, 'when the ears are a bit wet, and nobody really likes that sensation – so get a piece of toilet paper or muslin on your little finger and give it a good wipe.' Only go as far in as the finger can go. It is normal for it to come out a bit yellow, she says. 'Beyond that, leave it for nature.' 'Wax in itself is not a bad thing,' says Brennan. 'It is a protective mechanism. It keeps the ears healthy, generally speaking, and it does migrate out by itself. It is one of those phenomena that has a bad reputation, because sometimes it gets stuck.' 'Having wax in the ear doesn't mean that your ear is unhealthy or unhygienic,' adds Jindal. 'Research suggests that wax has an enzyme which can kill bacteria and viruses going into the ear, and it moisturises the skin as well. So wax is actually a more helpful thing than not.' 'Syringing is basically banned in the UK, because it can cause a lot of problems in the ears,' says Jindal. Almeida explains: 'You can apply too much pressure or too little pressure, hoping that the water is going to pass the wax and flush it out, so it is hit and miss. That's why it is dangerous, because you might have an infection and you don't know about it until it is too late, or you can cause a perforation of the eardrum with the pressure. Microsuction is much more gentle and guided; you can stop at any time.' Brennan notes that there is availability from the NHS for wax removal: 'There are some audiology or ear, nose and throat departments that will offer it. And there are still some GP surgeries that offer it. However, it is certainly not as widespread as it used to be.' Outside the NHS, there is now not much regulation around who can carry out wax removal, so it is worth asking your GP for advice on where to get it done, the experts say. 'Having a hearing aid, you are more likely to be in tune with what is going on in the world,' says Almeida. Hearing aids that are available on the NHS are 'amazing', she says – 'I am very proud to say that.' The technology has improved a great deal, with even AI and 'invisible' models on the market now. They are a lot less prone to problems like whistling, says Brennan. Munro says: 'Remember, you need good hearing to be able to communicate well, and hearing aids can address this. If you don't hear well, you're not able to stay socially connected to others. And if you're not socially connected and you can't have good-quality social interactions, this leads to isolation: you get anxious, you get withdrawn, you can be depressed, and that is not good for your health at all. For healthy ageing, you want to be able to remain socially connected.' If your ear feels blocked, olive oil-based ear drops are an option. 'For some people, they work well,' Brennan says. 'But use them in moderation and according to what it says on the packet. Speaking to a GP is a good start because if your ear feels blocked, it may not be wax; it could be an infection, which you're going to want to approach in a different way.' There are times when oil does more harm than good, says Jindal. 'Oil can close the pores of the skin, so the skin stops breathing, and if you already have an existing problem with the skin, then it doesn't go in your favour.' 'Swimming in a pool is OK for most people,' says Jindal. 'If they have ear-related issues, they will benefit from wearing earplugs. There are some over-the-counter earplugs, which are quite cheap. Or they can go to their nearest audiologist and get customised swim plugs made.' For people prone to ear problems, swimming in open water can be more problematic than doing pool lengths, because 'the water is more contaminated rather than regulated'. 'Tinnitus is ringing or buzzing,' says Almeida. 'It is described as a perception of sound, when no external sound is around. Very rarely, it can be caused by changes in blood flow or muscle contractions, but it is ultimately generated by the brain's auditory system. Hearing loss and tinnitus go hand in hand because by lacking hearing, the brain then notices the tinnitus.' It can be related to problems with the jaw, teeth or tense muscles around the neck, Almeida adds. 'The treatment options depend on what we find. If there is a hearing loss, hearing aids are always going to be the first port of call.' A visit to the dentist might also be an idea. Dehydration may be a factor: 'People say, 'When I wake up, the tinnitus is very loud, and the moment I have a glass of water, it's fine.' The ears are filled with liquid, and the whole body dehydrates at nighttime.' Brennan adds that there's some evidence to suggest cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for reducing the impact of tinnitus. 'Your ear controls your hearing and your balance,' says Munro. 'So if something goes wrong with your ear, it might also affect your balance. As we get older, the balance organ in our ear will not work as well as it used to. Your inner ear, where your cochlear is for your hearing and your semicircular canals for your balance, relies on a really good blood supply – but it is where the blood vessels are the smallest in the body, which is why people might end up with a vestibular problem.' If your ears feel blocked or painful when on an aeroplane, 'swallowing something helps, because that creates positive pressure inside the ear', says Jindal. 'Sipping a glass of water or juice, or sucking a sweet, may be helpful. There is a special balloon you can blow up with your nose rather than your mouth, which seems to help. And blowing the nose in general is a good thing.'
