After the Darkness Comes the Dawn

It’s been a while. Over 18 months in fact since our first and what turned out to be only Blog posts. Unfortunately, as for many, other events got in the way but we finally have some time to get back to the blog we started in Jan 2020.

So where have we been and what’s new?

For a large part of 2020 we were spending our time between our roles in the NHS and locked in our respective houses, home schooling, watching the news and eating and drinking too much. Lockdown restrictions, access to PPE and uncertainty about safety of certain procedures meant that we weren’t able to see our private clients for a period of time. However as professional guidance was updated and we adapted our working practices to incorporate COVID-19 precautions we gradually opened up and are now busier than ever. Restrictions have led to positive outcomes in terms of accessibility for our clients. We have introduced virtual consultations which allow us to help clients who can not physically get to us. We are also utilising remote programming options to make adjustments to clients’ hearing aids via their mobile phone apps. 2021 saw us branching out with a new clinic space. Our Loanhead EAR Clinic launched in May and has become home to our Tinnitus and Sound Sensitivity service. Reduced access to wax removal at GP practices has led to more clients seeking this important service privately. Our new room will allow us to increase our capacity in this area.

Going forward, we expect to be seeing the impact of COVID-19 for some time. Unfortunately the direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 have led to client’s reporting dizziness, tinnitus and sound tolerance problems. Any direct links between COVID-19 and these symptoms is yet to be proven but social isolation, lifestyle changes, reduced access to services and anxiety/stress do appear to have had an impact on our tinnitus clients. We are seeing more clients with no measurable hearing impairment reporting tinnitus and also an increase in sleep problems. Sleep counselling, anxiety management and CBT techniques are helping these clients to restore their quality of lives. As professionals we continue to keep up to date with current practices in the management of audiological conditions so that we can pass this knowledge on to our clients and enable them to manage their own health and well being.

It’s good to be back :o)