Meri Kirihimete to all new and existing customers of Hobsonville Hearing!

It has been another huge year for Hobsonville Hearing and we want to  take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing support, which allowed us to expand into our brand-new clinic space in September. This milestone wouldn't have been possible without the trust and loyalty of our valued customers, and for that, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. Our commitment to providing high quality, patient-centred audiological care remains unwavering, and our new clinic is a testament to our dedication to enhancing your experience with us.

This month's newsletter:

• Our year in numbers
• Shining the spotlight on our patients - Debbie Brown
• The 2023 patient spotlight full line up
• What to do if your ears get blocked over the holiday period
• Holiday hours & closure 2023-2024

The stats are in! Phoebe has tallied our most common services for 2023 and we have completed:

Tell us about yourself (interests, work, anything interesting, etc.)

Tell us about your hearing loss and when you first noticed it and how did your hearing loss impact your life?

My hearing loss came suddenly in 2016 with the annoying addition of tinnitus in my right ear. My left ear was completely normal at that time and I learned to live with it. Fast forward to 2022, it was getting more and more difficult to hear in social situations and the TV was getting louder and louder. I found I was talking loudly too, which must have annoyed those close to me. My husband did get frustrated at me as he had to keep repeating himself. He would also come up behind me and scare the living daylights out of me. 

At what point did you realise you needed to do something about your hearing?

Earlier this year, I began to experience bad dizzy spells which exacerbated my tinnitus. After reading on the internet that hearing aids can help with tinnitus, I decided it was time to investigate it further.  A member of my walking group had a friend who had been to Abby at Hobsonville Hearing and he’d had great success with his tinnitus so I decided to go there too.

Did you do any research about hearing solutions before coming to Hobsonville Hearing?

I found Abby lovely to work with - she answered all my questions patiently and in terms I could understand. With regular check-ins with Abby, I quickly adapted to my hearing aids. I found them easy to handle, charge and maintain. Abby explained that while wearing my aids, I wouldn’t notice my tinnitus as much. Therefore, when removing them at night, while the sound was still there, it wasn’t as annoying because my brain hadn’t been dealing with the noises all day. That made sense to me, and  is exactly what happened. I rarely notice my tinnitus now during the day, and once my aids are out at night, the noises don’t bother me as much as they used to.

Tell us about your hearing aid journey and how it has impacted your day-to-day life.

The first few weeks I was tired by the end of the day and experienced a few small headaches but nothing serious. Everything was so loud I was amazed at how much I must have been missing. Even my own voice was so loud. These things do settle. I’ve learnt to directly look at people when I’m in a social situation which works well, and my husband can’t sneak up on me anymore. The TV is now too loud so I’m guessing my husband needs to see Abby too. 

What advice would you give to people seeking treatment for hearing loss?

Click the photo to read more!

It is not uncommon to experience blocked ears, especially during the summer season when swimming. Blocked ears can be very frustrating and bothersome.

Your ear problems could be caused by one of two reasons; ear wax build-up or eustachian tube dysfunction. 

If your ears are blocked by wax, put a few drops of olive oil, or any kind of cooking oil at room temperature in your ears and lay on the opposite side for 5-10 minutes to let it soak down, repeating on the other side if needed. Do not use cotton buds, finger nails, hair pins, Waxsol, ear candles, or attempt to syringe your ears yourself.

If your ears feel blocked and you are unable to equalise (unpop) your ears by pinching your nose and swallowing, it could be eustachian tube dysfunction. Your eustachian tube is a channel that runs from your ear to the back of your nose. It's normally closed, but opens when you swallow or yawn. This lets air into your middle ear. If your eustachian tube isn't working properly, this causes reduced air pressure in your middle ear, which pulls your eardrum inwards. This can make your ear feel blocked and may cause ear pain. You may also notice you can't hear properly.

A nasal decongestant spray (Otrivin) can be used for five to seven days may help if you have a blocked nose. A steroid-based nasal spray (Flixonase) may help if the problem is caused by an allergy.

Dates of Holiday Period Closure:
Saturday 23rd December 2023 - Sunday 7th January 2024

First day open for 2024:
Monday 8th January 2024 - Normal hours resume

Once again, thank you for your support this year. From the team here at Hobsonville Hearing, we want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year!

As always, we are here to help you with all of your ear-related needs:

• Visit our website at www.hobsonvillehearing.co.nz
• Email us on [email protected]
• Call us on 09-930-9880

Or visit our clinic during our opening hours (see above for Holiday hours).

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