The 3Rs of Checking Your Own Hearing is a very easy-to-remember self-check that you can use on a regular basis as an early warning system for any changes in your own hearing. You don't need any special equipment. It's all based on things you'll encounter in every day life.

Local musician, Janet Dietz, explains here how she developed an ear condition in her early 20s that caused her to lose confidence in her ability to perform. But through the efforts, encouragement and expertise of Will Parfitt, one of our hearing aid audiologists here, she has been able do things she thought she'd never again have the chance or confidence to do.

She nominated Will for the 2009 Audiologist of the Year, and he was recognised for his efforts by the independent panel of judges as "highly commended".

Using the telephone with hearing aids is a topic that comes up often during appointments. So we’ve put together our top solutions to make phone conversation clearer and to avoid any whistling.

We often joke that someone has "selective hearing", meaning they ignore us when it's convenient to them.

But actually, selective hearing is something far more powerful. Its secret lies in the partnership that our ears have with our brain, and harnessing its power can have huge benefits when it comes to listening in challenging situations.

This article explains how.

LACE is an interactive home-study computer or DVD course that enables you to increase your listening skills by up to 45%.

Whether you wear hearing aids, are just acquiring aids, or simply wish to improve your listening skills, LACE training will help you get the most out of the sounds of life.

Many hearing aid users in the UK are missing out on the full benefits of their current hearing technology because it hasn’t been properly optimised for their individual hearing and lifestyle.

That's why we've developed H.A.L.O.™ (Hearing And Listening Optimisation) – to ensure you get the very best out of your hearing aids.

We strongly recommend that if you have Tinnitus on a regular basis that you seek professional advice from someone, such as Broom Reid & Harris, that understands tinnitus. In particular if:

• You find the Tinnitus bothersome.
• It affects your quality of life.
• You are concerned about it.
• If you have Tinnitus is one ear.
• If your Tinnitus is rhythmic or pulses (like a heartbeat).
• If it is accompanied by dizziness or vertigo.
• If you work (or play!) in a noisy environment.

Tinnitus is such an individual thing, and it's important that you receive the correct professional advice for you. It is another reason why we strongly advocate routine hearing tests throughout life: it gives us the opportunity to assess your Tinnitus.

Tinnitus sounds different to different people. Some people describe it as a hiss, or a buzzing or a ringing, or a whistling. Sometimes it can be a clicking or a pulsing or rushing sound. Sometimes it can sound like music, such as an old hymn or organ music. Often it's a combination of several sounds and tones.

Sometimes the sound is not true tinnitus, but is actually a sound our body is making. This is known as a somatosound. It could be the movement of our jaws, or the rushing of blood, or even the clicking of muscles in our ears.

• It is important that we are as efficient as possible with our travel times for the reasons stated above. Sometimes we won't know until the day before who we are due to home consultation, and whereabouts they live. We may therefore contact you beforehand to rearrange the consultations for the day. We would very much appreciate your co-operation and understanding in this because one day we may be rescheduling for your benefit, in order to fit your appointment in.
• Roads in Devon and Cornwall can be particularly busy during the Summer.
• It is to everyone's benefit that you have someone with you during your home visit where possible.
• We will never call at your home unless you (or someone acting on your behalf) has requested us to do so.
• In your home please remember we cannot control the acoustic environment as easily as we can at one of our centres. We therefore like to use a room that is as free as possible from ambient noise and distractions. For example, if we are carrying out a hearing test in your kitchen, we may request that you temporarily turn off the refrigerator.

If we are visiting you at home, we will tend to give you vague times for our arrival, so please bear this in mind if you have any other commitments for the day we are visiting. We will tend to say something like "Early Morning" or "Late Afternoon" when you make your appointment.

The reasons we provide such general times are:

1. We like to spend as much time with you as you need. Because of this, sometimes an appointment can run on longer than we expect. This may have an impact on the time we arrive at the subsequent appointments.
2. It is sometimes difficult to predict how long it will take us to travel between appointments. Traffic, the weather, diversions are just some of the things that may affect our estimated travel times.