What To Expect When You Visit An Audiologist

If you have concerns about your hearing, it is always a good idea to get it checked. This may include struggling to hear in one-to-one conversations, finding it difficult in group instances a friend or family may have noticed a change in your hearing.

Step 1:

When you visit our clinic, you will meet one of our fully Qualified Audiologists, and they will chat with you about your hearing concerns. Your Audiologist will ask you various questions relating to your current lifestyle, medical conditions, and previous exposure to excessive noise levels. It is important to let your Audiologist know where you are struggling so that they can understand where the issue may lie.

Step 2:

Your Audiologist will then conduct a physical examination of both ears which allows us to inspect for any obstructions or wax which may hinder your hearing test. The Audiologist will use a small light called an Otoscope. This allows the Audiologist to physically examine the ear canal and ear drum and identify any possible anomalies.  

The Audiologist will then complete a hearing test on both ears to determine whether or not hearing loss is present.  Your Audiologist will place headphones over both ears and a button for you to press. Sounds are played through the headphones at different pitches & frequencies.

The results are plotted on a graph called an Audiogram, which your Audiologist will explain to you clearly.

Step 3:

Once the test is completed, your Audiologist will explain the results of your hearing test on an Audiogram.

If hearing loss is detected, it can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound, which will be explained in detail so you can understand.

If you are a suitable candidate, your Audiologist will allow you to demonstrate and then fit you with a pair of hearing aids calibrated to your specific results.

Why Would I Be Referred To My GP or ENT After Being Tested?

In some cases, your Audiologist may have identified underlying causes of your hearing loss, such as:

• If you have noticed noises in your ear, such as ringing, humming, or whistling, this may be Tinnitus. Tinnitus affects many adults in Ireland each year; the causes of Tinnitus are hearing loss, prolonged exposure to loud noises, impacted ear wax, or ear infections.
• Meniere's disease is a condition that affects the inner ear; it can cause dizzy spells and hearing loss. If the Audiologist identifies symptoms of Meniere's disease, they may refer your GP or ENT.
• Ear infections can also cause discomfort and potential hearing loss. Unfortunately, an Audiologist cannot prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. Your GP can assist you with this.
• Cholesteatoma is an abnormal collection of skin cells deep inside your ear. Although they are quite rare.
• Acoustic Neuroma is a rate of growth that develops on the hearing/balance nerve between the brain and inner ear. If your Audiologist suspects this may cause your hearing loss, they will refer you to an ENT for a CT scan and full diagnosis.
  
  

If you have any questions prior to your visit, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

10 Must Have Hearing Aid Features For 2024

1. Noise reduction

This feature seems basic but is critically important, especially for first-time hearing aid users. In busy environments like an office, restaurant, or café, background noise can make it difficult to hear and understand conversations. Most modern hearing aids have a built-in noise reduction function; depending on the technology level, the quality can vary from model to model.

While your environment may be busy, your hearing aid is actively processing sounds and filtering out unwanted sounds and noises. Technology inside the hearing aid including algorithms and directional microphones help determine where the sound is coming and to filter out irrelevant sounds. This technology is referred to as enhanced speech technology to filter unwanted sounds.

2. Personalised programs & environments

Most hearing aids come with several preset programs. These programs are preset to help the hearing aid wear in noisy environments.

Some hearing aid users will find some environments more challenging than others. For example, a busy office produces a lot of background noise and sounds coming from different directions. In comparison, a library will have very few sounds with little or no background noise.

The hearing aid user can set up a custom listening environment via the mobile app in these instances. This will allow the user to select a suitable listening environment.

Premium hearing aids take this technology one step further. Hearing aids like the Widex Moment 440 use AI technology to understand your hearing preferences and instantly adapt to offer the best hearing solution.

3. Bluetooth connectivity

Our hearing aids have evolved from listening devices to smart technology. Most hearing aids now incorporate Bluetooth technology to connect to smart devices.

Most smart hearing aids use a Bluetooth technology called ASHA Bluetooth Protocol, which allows direct streaming from your smartphone to your hearing aids.

Having Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, hearing aid users can avail of features including TV streaming, making and receiving telephone calls, and using accessories such as external microphones.

4. Wind control

It is probably one of the most underrated features of hearing aids, but it is essential. Wind noise can be one of the worst listening situations, thankfully modern hearing aids have a wind reduction feature. Both Widex & Unitron have wind control features built-in; the technology inside your hearing aid automatically detects wind noise and reacts to reduce the noise.

When noise is uncorrelated between both microphones on your hearing aids, algorithm effectively detects and separates the wind noise. This benefits the hearing aid user in 3 ways:

1. Improved speech understanding
2. Ability to wear your hearing aids in comfort in windy conditions
3. Quick and automatic adaption in all-weather types

5. Remote Care

Remote care allows your Audiologists to make necessary adjustments to your hearing aids without you leaving your home. Often referred to as "Teleaudiology," your Audiologists can remotely access your hearing aids via our software and your mobile app.

Once the Audiologist has gained access, necessary adjustments can be made to adjust your hearing aids in real-time. Remote care has dramatically benefited some of our customers; some of our patients may live or spend several months abroad. By using remote care, our Audiologists can make necessary adjustments to their hearing aids.

6. Go rechargeable

The hearing aid industry has been moving towards rechargeable batteries instead of the disposable option. As the technology level in hearing aids becomes more advanced, usage demands on the battery increase.

With rechargeable hearing aids, you can leave your hearing aids in the charging dock overnight & receive a full charge. This avoids changing the disposable batteries every week or needing to change them on the go.

Furthermore, some models now have the option of a rechargeable carry case. This allows you to charge anywhere or anytime.

7. Tinnitus Masking

As there is no universal cure for Tinnitus, hearing can help with the symptoms. Hearing aids include a feature called Tinnitus Masking or Tinnitus Programs. Your Audiologists can enable the hearing this feature to help manage your Tinnitus. Both Unitron & Widex offer Tinnitus solutions on specific models.

8. Find my hearing aids

Widex introduced a Find My hearing aid feature on the Widex Moment 330R & 440. It is designed to help users who have misplaced their hearing aids.

Once in the Moment app, you can use the function to find the location where their hearing aids were last connected to the phone. The hearing aid must have some battery for this feature to work.

9. Tap control

With tap control on the Unitron Blu & Vivante models, hearing aid users can accept, disconnect, and make calls with a simple tap of their hearing aids. This feature is handy when in a busy environment.

The Unitron Blu can also seamlessly connect to your laptop, allowing streaming from Zoom & Microsoft team calls.

10. 360 Conversation in car (manual)

Unition’s 360 conversation in car manual program automatically focuses on speech, regardless of where passengers sit. This technology helps filter out road noise and allows you the user to hear conversations instead of background noise.

Users will also have access to the new 360 Conversations in Car manual program that automatically focuses on speech, regardless of where passengers are sitting, addressing the unique listening environment in the car.

All of these listening features can be accessed through the Remote Plus app, which is available for iOS and Android devices.

Blackberry Hearing Partner With Special Olympics Ireland

We are delighted to announce our partnership with Special Olympics Ireland.

Almost 8,000 athletes from across Ireland participate in 15 sports through Special Olympics. 

Through sports, health and leadership programmes, athletes learn to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit while learning new skills.

Most importantly, they experience the joy of sport and make life-long friendships!

Our 2024 partnership with the Special Olympics Ireland as their first Audiology provider allows us to provide expert hearing care to their athletes & members.

Our team of Qualified Audiologists are always available to provide free expert advice and hearing consultations for athletes and members throughout Ireland.

You can learn more by visiting their official website: https://www.specialolympics.ie/

Blackberry opens third experience store

It has been a busy year for Blackberry Hearing as we open our third experience store.

We are delighted to be growing across Ireland and opening our experience stores in Mallow, Naas and Ballincollig.

Our journey started in January 2023 when we proudly opened our very first experience store in Mallow. This July, we celebrated the opening of our second store, which you can find in Tesco Extra in Naas.

We've topped it all off by opening our third store this September, located in the Tesco Superstore in Ballincollig.

At all of our three experience stores, you can expect:

• A warm welcome from our fully qualified Audiologists and team
• Free hearing tests
• Information about hearing health
• View and try on our range of hearing aids
• Ask our Audiologist for a demo
• Compare our models
• Microsuction wax removal

Each of our three experience stores has been designed to offer a range of services and experiences to our customers.

When you visit our stores, you’re not just coming for a product but you are coming for an experience that’s all about improving your hearing health.

Our team are here to assist you to better hearing and we are excited to see you all in Mallow, Naas and Ballincollig.

You can visit our stores in:
Mallow
Ballincollig – Tesco Superstore
Naas – Tesco Extra

Should I get my hearing tested?

Should I get my hearing tested?

Often, people are on the fence about whether they should get their hearing tested. Sometimes, people may feel embarrassed or unsure about what to expect.

Hearing loss is a common condition affecting more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. Hearing loss can also be diagnosed at any stage, from early childhood to our elderly years. 

Do you:

• Often, ask others to repeat themselves.
• Turn up your TV or radio louder than others prefer?
• Need help understanding conversations when there is background noise?
• Find people are mumbling in conversation?
• Need help with following conversations?
• Find it challenging to identify which direction a sound comes from.
• You find you need to turn your ear to hear a conversation.

You could benefit from a free hearing consultation if you answered yes to some or any of the above questions. An Audiologist can advise you on why you might struggle with your hearing.

The first step is to find a hearing clinic close to you. 

If you cannot attend one of our clinics, in most cases, we can provide you with free home visits.

The appointment will begin with a chat about your hearing and any concerns you may have. 

The Audiologist will examine your ear canals with a small torch called an Otoscope. This will allow the Audiologist to examine the ear drum and ear canal to identify any blockages causing hearing loss.

The Audiologist will then conduct a comprehensive hearing test. The test begins with placing a set of soundproof headphones to cancel an exterior noise. 

Secondly, the Audiologist will give you a button to push once you hear the sound. A series of low and high-pitch sounds are played to test your ability to hear at these frequencies. 

Once the hearing test is complete, your hearing test results are plotted on a graph. This graph is called an Audiogram. 

The Audiogram will allow the Audiologist to diagnose:

• If hearing loss is present
• What type of hearing loss is present
• Frequency or pitch
• If there is loss, the level of severity of the loss
• If you are a suitable candidate for a hearing aid or if there is a medical condition causing your loss.

Once the Audiologist has diagnosed your hearing, they can explain the results of your Audiogram and answer any of your questions.

If no hearing loss is diagnosed, the Audiologist may suggest a retest in 12 -24 months, depending on your Audiogram.

If the Audiologist feels you may be a suitable candidate for a hearing aid. They will explain the benefits and how the hearing aid may help you. You can try on a hearing aid to experience how it feels to wear a hearing aid. Remember, hearing aids are lighter and more discrete than ever before!

Our Audiologists can also provide you with a copy of your Audiogram and information about your results.

How To Maintain Your Hearing Aids

Your hearing aid needs to be handled with care. It’s always important to clean and maintain your hearing aid in order to get the best sound and keep it functioning for years to come. In general, it’s essential to handle your hearing aid carefully.

When To Change Your Receiver

You should change the receiver on your hearing aid if it is whistling, sounds are unclear, or no sound at all.
1: Pinch the receiver firmly at its closest point to the aid and pull away.
2: Push the new receiver into the same position (confirm it is for the correct ear)
3: Fit an ear-tip on the new receiver by gripping the whole ear-tip and pushing it into place over the receiver end.

When To Change Your Hearing Aid Dome

You should change the ear-tip as required. For further supplies of ear tips, please get in touch with us.

• Gently pull off the rubber ear tip attached to the wire of your hearing aid.
• Fit a new ear tip on the receiver by gripping the whole ear tip and firmly pushing it into place over the receiver end.

When To Change Your Hearing Aid Filter/Wax Guard

If your hearing aid stops working and it’s not the battery then it is most likely the filter/wax guard. The filter helps to protect your hearing aid against earwax. Check on a regular basis that your filter has not become blocked with ear wax, in the following way:

• Remove the ear-tip from the ear wire.
• Insert the removal hook into the used filter.
• Pull the filter straight out.
• Turn the holder around so that the new filter is in position to be inserted.
• Insert the new filter into the opening of the sound outlet.

When To Change Your Hearing Aid Battery

You should replace the battery if you have no sound coming from your hearing aids or if the sounds are unclear.

• Place the battery in the drawer so that the (+) sign on the battery is facing toward you when you hold the hearing aid as shown. You can use the battery magnet provided to steer the batter into place.
• If the battery drawer does not close easily, the battery is incorrectly inserted.
• When changing the battery it is a good idea to place the hearing aid over a table.
• Always place the battery in the actual battery drawer and not in the open space inside the hearing aid.

Looking after your hearing aids properly keeps them performing optimally for longer. In most cases, changing the batteries, receivers filters or domes fixes the vast majority of issues.

Kathleen Hassett – Customer Stories

Meet Kathleen, a vibrant and witty 99-year-old lady who has been profoundly deaf and bed-bound for several months. Despite her incredible sense of humour, Kathleen has not been feeling her usual self lately due to her lack of effective communication. However, thanks to Audiologist Claire Bolger, everything changed for her and her family.

In a heart-warming moment witnessed by her two daughters, Claire fitted Kathleen with a pair of hearing aids; her face lit up with joy and brought tears to her daughter's eyes as they could see the life-changing reaction of being able to hear properly again, "every one of us had tears in our eyes to see Kathleen's reaction to being able to hear again! "says Claire.

For months, Kathleen had relied on written words to communicate, but now, with the help of hearing aids, she could engage in conversations again. The hearing aids brought a connection with her loved ones again on a deeper level, bringing laughter, shared stories, and heartfelt moments back into her life.

Kathleen can now be more independent and enjoy hearing things again. We are dedicated to helping people with hearing problems, and our work has made a real impact on Kathleen and many others.

In a world where technology can make us feel alone, this touching story reminds us that it can also bring people closer and make us happy. Kathleen's story shows us how hearing aids can change someone's life.

Better Hearing & Speech Month

The Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists estimates that approximately one out of every twelve individuals are expected to develop permanent hearing loss in Ireland.
Hearing loss can negatively impact our routines and limit our engagement in personal and social interactions.

While natural hearing loss (presbycusis) commonly occurs as we age, there are instances where hearing loss can become present in life. Identifying hearing loss in early childhood stages can prevent future learning and speech development.

The main causes of hearing loss include:

• Age-related hearing loss (Presbycusis)
• Trauma to the ear or head
• Prolonged exposure to loud or noisy environments
• Viral infections or constant ear infections
• Ototoxic medicines
• Delayed onset of progressive genetic hearing loss
• Cerumen impaction (impacted ear wax)

6 Ways To Protect Your Ears:

• Use earplugs in noisy places
• Avoid exposure to loud sounds
• Visit a Qualified Audiologist every 1 -2 years if you are concerned about your hearing
• Visit your Audiologist or GP if you have any concerns
• Avoid excessive volume from your TV, headphones or radio
• Wear your hearing aids regularly when prescribed

Common Questions- Unitron Rechargeable Hearing Aids

1: How do I know if my hearing aids are charging?

Flashing green lights indicate that your hearing aids are charging, Solid green lights indicate that your hearing aids are fully charged.

2: What does solid red lights on my hearing aid indicate?

Solid red lights on your hearing aid indicates that your hearing aids are not charging- Remove the hearing aids from the charging case, ensure that there are silver zinc rechargeable batteries in the hearing aids, clean the contacts and reinsert.

3: What does a flashing red light when trying to charge the hearing aids indicate?

A flashing red light on the charging base means that the charging base is outside the normal operating temperature range. Move the Charging base to a location where the temperature is within range, between 10°C to 40°C.

4: What should I do when the hearing aids emit a low battery warning?

When a low battery warning is emitted, place the hearing aids in the charging base or replace the silver-zinc batteries with non- rechargeable zinc air batteries until the hearing aids are properly recharged.  

Do not attempt to ‘reboot’ the rechargeable battery by opening and closing the battery door. While this may damage the rechargeable battery and shorten the battery life.

5: How do I clean my charging base?

To clean your charging base, use a dry soft tissue and/or provided brush to remove debris from the hearing aid charge contacts. Do not sterilize or disinfect the charger or use rubbing alcohol, or any other liquid.

6: Can my hearing aids be stored in a drawer until they are needed?

We recommend that the batteries are removed from your hearing aids while in storage, or that hearing aids are left on the charging base ( while  plugged in ), so they will be ready when needed.

7: Can my hearing aids be stored on the charging base if it is unplugged?

No. This will drain the existing battery charge.

8: My hearing aids that were placed on the charging base overnight only lasted a few hours. What happened?

Your hearing aids may not have been charged long enough to get to full charge, or the battery could be experiencing capacity drain as a result of inconsistent charging.  We recommend that hearing aids are kept on the active charging base when not on your ears, as well as every night. 

9: The battery charge on my hearing aid appears expanded and may be leaking, is this dangerous?

Unitron use silver-zinc batteries in all their rechargeable products, which are 100% recyclable, non- flammable and non-toxic so there is no danger. In the unlikely event this happens, please get in contact with one of the team and we will book you in for an appointment with our Audiologist.

Why are my hearing aids not working?

Looking after your hearing aids properly keeps them performing optimally for longer. In most cases, changing the batteries, receivers or domes fixes the vast majority of issues.

If your hearing aid is not working  check this list of possible problems first:

My hearing aids have no sound

• Ensure your hearing aids are turned on
• Replace your battery
• Hearing aids/domes are blocked with wax – Clean your aids with a cleaning kit or try changing the filter on your hearing aid
• Hearing aids are damaged or defective – Contact us

My hearing aids are not loud enough

• Ensure your volume is not set too low
• Ensure your hearing aids/domes are inserted properly
• Hearing aids/domes are blocked with wax – Clean your aids with a cleaning kit or try changing the filter on your hearing aid
• Your hearing has changed - Contact us as your hearing aid may need adjusting

My hearing aids are whistling

• Your hand or clothing are too close to your ear causing your aid to whistle
• Ensure your hearing aids/domes are inserted properly
• Hearing aids/domes are blocked with wax – Clean your aids with cleaning kit or try changing the filter on your hearing aid
• Battery is running low- replace the battery
• Change the filters, receivers & domes on your hearing aids

Sounds are unclear on my hearing aids

• Replace the battery
• Hearing aids are fitting poorly- contact us
• Hearing aid is damaged or defective – contact us

Performance of my hearing aid is inconsistent

• Replace the battery

If your hearing aids are still not working please get in touch with our team as you will need to have your aids serviced.