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What has NAIROS taught us about septoplasty?

Septoplasty is a commonly performed procedure worldwide for nasal obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum. In the UK, with long waiting lists for septoplasty, there is a large and unexplained variation in the incidence of this procedure between individual...

Leadership in academia

I went into medicine with the clichéd view of wanting to help people. I found that by doing surgery I could help a small number of people, albeit usually to a large effect. Then, I recognised that by engaging in...

Alternative listening devices: reaching the places hearing aids don’t

The stigma surrounding hearing aids means that many people who would benefit from wearing them are put off from doing so. Alternative listening devices could provide the solution to this. David Maidment discusses these devices, their effectiveness and the impact...

In space no-one can hear you scream…or can they?

Plasma, eardrums the size of planets and questioning the wisdom of your school physics teacher! Martin Archer explains the fascinating world of sound and space. Is there sound in space? If you believed the marketing of the movie Alien, or...

Hearing loss prevention in musicians - violating one rule of physics

Whilst enjoying music, we also need to be mindful of the potential effect of producing music for the musician. Dr Chasin discusses the development of earplugs for the industry with the added bonus of physics for party goers! Hearing protection,...

A brief history of the acoustic ear trumpet and some collection favourites

If you think you know a thing or two about ear trumpets, I’d bet Michael Briggs knows more! In this fascinating article, he tells the history of the ear trumpet, as well as sharing some wonderful pictures from his Guiness...

Why and how to assess digital literacy of older adults with hearing loss

Assessing digital literacy in older adults with hearing loss is vital for equitable care. The new DL-2Q tool quickly measures such skills, ensuring tailored support and better outcomes. Digital literacy and its importance When an older patient walks into your...

Addressing the non-use of hearing aids

We all know non-use of hearing aids occurs, but why, and what can we do about it? Numerous studies have investigated the challenges surrounding the underutilisation of hearing aids, examining factors such as reluctance to seek assistance, the impact of...

The role of metrics in studies of hearing and cognition

Introduction When perceiving sounds in real-world listening environments, older adults encounter several sources of degradation that can interfere with the perceptual process (Figure 1). Target signals (i.e. the sounds that a listener wants to focus on) have specific acoustic characteristics...