hearing loss Archives - Cubex
That time when I learnt about the importance of hearing – An article by Ruth Penfold, VP, People at Onfido
On 26, Feb 2019 | In News | By Cubex Concierge
We feel so touched by this post by Ruth Penfold, VP of People at Onfido and the daughter of Mr Penfold, a wonderful gentleman that we have the pleasure of looking after. We just had to share.
The ‘Human-ness of Hearing’
On 26, Feb 2019 | In Hearing Conversation with Saima | By Dr Saima Rajasingam
In conversations with people outside of audiology*, I often find myself struggling to convey how integral hearing is to our identity as humans, or how complex hearing loss is.
Within my PhD, I explored some of the factors underpinning auditory scene analysis, the brain’s ability to use sounds we hear to build a picture of the world around us. As I sit typing this post, my brain is doing exactly that without any conscious effort. I can hear that the clinic room door is open with the gentle murmur of my colleagues talking further down the corridor over the hum of the PC and the faint sound of traffic. The sounds I hear now are meaningful. If you suddenly muted all this ‘background noise’, I would feel uncomfortable and perhaps even unsafe, disconnected from the world around.
Hearing Healthcare Workshop – Learn how to improve your hearing health and well-being
On 18, Jan 2019 | In Events | By Cubex Concierge
Learn how to take control of your hearing health and your life in this 2 day workshop created and hosted by Cubex.
There is no doubt that coming to terms with the possibility of reduced hearing ability can be a traumatic and upsetting experience. On average, people with hearing loss wait almost 10 years before taking active steps to change their hearing health so that they can recover their ability to communicate and improve well-being.
Communication tips for the festive season
On 06, Dec 2018 | In Arts & Lifestyle | By Rosie Williams
During the festive season, people tend to find themselves in busy, noisy and distracting environments more often than they might throughout the rest of the year. This can be quite overwhelming or stressful for someone experiencing hearing loss so we have some useful tips to make those events and occasions enjoyable for everyone.
Setting the dinner table
Setting the dinner table
If you have a hearing loss, or are hosting a dinner party with a guest who has hearing loss, you’ll want to make sure the table arrangements are suitable for everyone.
This might mean ensuring those with hearing loss are placed further away from the kitchen or music speakers. It may be that someone has a stronger side and would rather sit with the majority of people on one side so make sure that is arranged early on.
Sight plays a big role in communicating clearly so making sure people have a clear view of everyones faces so they can clearly see if someone is talking to them and clearly see their facial expressions.
Setting the atmosphere
Setting the atmosphere
Background noise itself can cause a problem for those experiencing hearing loss, especially because people tend to speak even louder when there is some background noise. Try to reduce noise by lowering music volume, avoiding plate and pan clattering and if possible, spreading people out so they aren’t all shouting over each other in one place.
Utilising sight for better communication
Utilising sight for better communication
Sight is really important to those with hearing loss, particularly because many hearing aids are directional and may not pick up on someone speaking nearby unless they are facing the direction of the person.
Being able to see peoples faces makes it easier to recognise when someone is speaking, as well as reading facial expressions, lips and body language. Ensure the lighting is not too dark and remove any table obstructions (such as candles) so everyone can clearly see everyone elses face on the table.
Don’t be afraid to ask
Don’t be afraid to ask
It’s best for everyone if you can let people know you have a hearing loss and how they can best help you in noisy environments. If you are unable to do that, you could let the host of the event know so that the environment can be adapted to suit you.
Don’t be afraid to ask someone to speak up, or to ask for the background noise to be turned down.
Learn more
Learn more
To get more tips on communication throughout the festive season, you can read the full guide from Oticon here.
Want to check your hearing? Take our free online hearing test.
Take a free online hearing test >
Speak to an Audiologist
If you would like some advice or would like to have your hearing tested by an Audiologist, get in touch with us at Cubex to arrange an appointment.
Speak to an Audiologist >
The link between untreated hearing loss, cognitive decline & dementia
On 29, Oct 2018 | In Hear&Now | By Rosie Williams
Readers may remember an international study in the Lancet, reporting that one in three cases of dementia can be prevented if more people looked after their cognitive health throughout their lives.
In the study, middle-aged hearing loss was identified as a major risk to developing dementia. Hearing loss denies people access to cognitively rich environments and can lead to social isolation and depression, leading to a higher risk of cognitive decline.
The study identified that 35% of the risk factors associated with dementia were modifiable, the most prominent being hearing loss which was responsible for 9% of the acceleration of the onset of dementia.
Why mindfulness and meditation is good for tinnitus and hearing loss?
On 11, Oct 2018 | In Clinical Mindfulness, News | By Jerusha Shulberg
You don’t have to go very far to see that lifestyle practices like mindfulness and meditation are becoming more and more popular for the management of tinnitus, hearing loss and in western medical science in general.
Before discussing the role of mindfulness and meditation in hearing healthcare, it is useful to understand the nature of hearing loss and tinnitus.
Read more…
Cubex Weekly TIP // Hearing aids help us preserve memories and slows down cognitive decline.
On 26, Sep 2018 | In News, Weekly Tip | By Jerusha Shulberg
On this week’s TIP, Adam Shulberg, discusses a recent study which demonstrates that hearing aid use may have a mitigating effect on trajectories of cognitive decline in later life.
Invitation to take part in a hearing study at UCL Ear Institute
On 26, Jul 2018 | In News | By Jerusha Shulberg
We need people who wear hearing aids to trial a new spatial speech test with our colleagues at the UCL Ear Institute in Kings Cross, London.
Often hearing aid users report difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments as well as identifying where the speech is coming from and the UCL Ear Institute have developed a new way of testing this to work towards improving the performance of hearing aid technology in these situations.
The test will take place at the UCL Ear Institute in Kings Cross, London, and involves identifying words in background noise as well as their location, while you wear your hearing aids. You would need to attend the UCL Ear Institute for one session which lasts around 1 -2 hours. Your travel expenses will be reimbursed and you will be paid £10 per hour as a token of our gratitude.
If you would like more information, have any questions or would like to sign up to the study then please get in touch here!
Widex EVOKE™ – The Worlds First Machine-Learning Hearing Aid
On 28, Jun 2018 | In Hearing Technology, News | By Jerusha Shulberg
Widex have announced the launch of Widex EVOKE™, the latest technological innovation from Widex, the first hearing aid to feature advanced machine learning in real time. EVOKE™ is based on their entirely new chip platform and is the first product inspired by the Widex Real-Life Hearing™ philosophy.
Cubex Weekly TIP // How to prevent a hearing loss
On 11, Apr 2018 | In News | By Jerusha Shulberg
THIS WEEK’S TIP: HOW TO PREVENT A HEARING LOSS
This week Adam Shulberg speaks to Dr. Saima Rajasingam, expert Audiologist from Cubex in Central London about prevention of hearing loss and the steps that we can take to reduce the likelihood of developing a hearing loss.
