Our case studies section is your ear to the ground for the latest case studies about hearing, hearing loss, hearing loss treatment and any other interesting work that Bay Audiology is involved in.
Glenn Turner is one of our country’s most prolific batsmen, representing New Zealand in 41 tests and 455 first class matches. He was interested in a wide selection of sports from an early age but focused on cricket as he had a real passion and aptitude for it. Born in Dunedin in the 1940’s, he entered the sport at an interesting time when cricket was evolving from an amateur game into a professional sport.
The pioneer of professional cricket also forged his career in the UK, playing county cricket for Worcester from 1967-1982. He captained Worcester in 1981 and is one of the select few to score a ‘century of centuries’ (100+ runs in 100 innings). He has coached the New Zealand cricket team twice, once in the mid 1980’s and again a decade later.
Nowadays Glenn is semi-retired but also works as convener of the New Zealand cricket selection panel which sees him watching cricket for around 35 days each summer, selecting for three different teams. Glenn has two children, Natasha and Shaan, and is married to former Dunedin Mayor, Sukhi Turner, with whom he enjoys biking the trails of Wanaka. Outside of cricket Glenn also enjoys walking, swimming, playing golf and fly fishing.
Glenn’s enthusiasm and optimism is so externally evident that it’s not difficult to see why he became such a phenomenal success. “My approach has always been to get stuck right into what’s in front of you. I’ve never been one to politically manoeuvre situations; I firmly believe that if you’re doing well then doors will open for you. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
Glenn endured hearing issues for ten years before finally seeking a solution. He was fitted with hearing aids courtesy of GN ReSound, by Bay Audiologist Simon Melville three months ago.
“My hearing has been a bit marginal for a while. When you’re dealing with youngsters they tend to speak quick fire and can mumble and I was getting so fed up with asking people to repeat things. I found conversations in a group impossible because there seemed to be so much background noise I could barely hear the person I was talking to. You naturally defend your position, so I was asking others to adapt how they were speaking to me, as opposed to accepting that the issue might lie with my hearing” explains Glenn.
Glenn’s ear canal was best suited to the dot by ReSound hearing aid. The devices are so discreet that most of Glenn’s friends did not notice he was wearing them. Only one person in the last three months has noticed Glenn has hearing aids – though he does pull them out and show people as he is fascinated with the technology. The colour of the hearing aids blends in well with their surroundings, “now that I’m a blonde,” Glenn adds cheekily.
With his various jobs in and around cricket, and working with young cricketers, he needs to keep up with the play. The bottom line for Glenn is that the dot by ReSound hearing aids have made a significant difference to his hearing ability.
“It’s quite something to come to terms with, admitting that you have a problem; it’s not easy. I didn’t address the problem until a few months ago when I made an appointment at Bay Audiology’s Cromwell clinic and met the audiologist, Simon Melville.”
Simon agrees this is a common issue with first time clients. “Taking that first step and admitting there is a hearing issue that needs sorting out can be difficult - but the results are worth it,” he says.
In recent months Bay Audiology launched a corporate social responsibility challenge to its clinics. The project brief focused on the characteristic of ‘responsibility’ and each clinic was tasked with executing a voluntary, budget-free and fun initiative within this brief that benefited their community.
Once the activity was completed, each team submitted an application to the Support Office with a brief activity outline, relevant pictures and outcome. Some fantastic entries were received from clinics around the country, including Rotorua who donated gifts to Women’s Refuge, Kapiti and Lower Hutt, who worked with local nursing homes on a community service hearing initiative; and the Support Office who set up a carbon output reduction scheme.
The winning clinic was Taupo, who partnered with the local Deerstalkers Club and provided ear plugs and free hearing checks for all participants during one of the shoots. Every Wednesday the club holds their junior shoot with 20-50 children ranging from 3 to 17 years of age who shoot .22s The Club also educates children about the use of firearms.
There are several adult members running the club – their key concerns were that they did not have enough earmuffs for all participants and that facilitators needed to be able to hear the children for safety reasons.
In good weather they practice outdoors. Outdoor sound testing produced a range of noise levels between 99dB and 133dB, all measured at ear level. In winter they have an indoor range which is much louder and therefore more damaging for their hearing.
Bay Audiology donated $2,000 to the Taupo clinic to be spent on further supporting the project to keep it running in the community. This means electronic earmuffs can be secured for staff as well as regular earmuffs for children. The clinic will also spend time educating the children about noise-induced hearing loss and the importance of protecting their hearing.
In today’s world the sense of ‘sound’ is more fashionable than ever – with millions of iPods and MP3 players sold every year. However until recently little thought was given to how these devices may be gradually and cumulatively damaging hearing.
A recent survey conducted by the National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) in 2008, found that half of young New Zealanders have potentially damaged their hearing by age 25. Younger people are more at risk of damaging their ears, with 18-20 year olds most likely to turn up the volume. Heavy Metal, Rock, Dance and Techno were the genres most likely to be listened to at higher volumes.
iPods can reach volumes of over 100dB, while the maximum ‘safe’ level of noise is 85dB. Although 85dB is considered safe, repetitive sound exposure at 85dB can damage hearing. Sound at concerts or clubs can reach up to 120dB. Alarmingly, researchers say 15 year olds who increase the volume on their MP3 players for extended hours may not notice any hearing deficit until they are 20.
Noise-induced hearing loss can occur as a result of repeated exposure to loud sounds over time and symptoms include distorted or muffled sounds or difficulty understanding speech. The most instant after-effect of loud music is ringing in the ears, and almost half of survey participants aged 18-25 had experienced this for a few hours after listening to their MP3s.
Younger people are taking their ear protection for granted. Furthermore those under 20 in the NFD survey said they would be unlikely to wear ear protection because it would be ‘uncool’ and too obvious amongst others around them.
Current versions of Apple’s MP3 player, iPod, are adapted to prevent users from playing tracks at full volume through their earphones for too long. The devices also calculate the amount of ‘quiet time’ between when the iPod is turned off and restarted, allowing volume to be increased again to a safe level after times of silence to protect hearing.
All this research shows it is more important than ever to listen responsibly, think about the volume and keep track of listening time. Ears adapt to higher levels of sound over time without realising the higher volume may be harmful. The louder the volume, the less time required before your hearing may be affected. If you experience ringing in your ears or hear muffled speech, stop using MP3s and have your hearing checked.