I trust the New Year has started well for you. My year began with a practical lesson on how important it is that our clinics make it easy and comfortable for you to access our services.

After a couple of years in Queensland, Australia, audiologist Nicholas Muir has rejoined our Southland team. Welcome ‘home’ Nick.

It’s back by popular demand. We started the year by rolling over our technology upgrade offer, and it continues until the end of March. So if you’re thinking of getting new hearing aids, make a free appointment to see us now and take advantage of this fantastic offer.

If allergies, sinus troubles or a cold have left your ears “plugged” or feeling full, and sound is muffled, your eustachian tubes may be blocked. This is often not a problem. We all know how to “pop” our ears: take a deep breath, pinch your nostrils, and with mouth shut, blow. But if your ears won’t clear, you could have eustachian tube dysfunction.

‘When my mother and wife first suggested I needed hearing aids, I was like, nah, no way, I’m not going to look like an idiot! But now I totally can’t stand not wearing them; it's like having fingers stuck in my ears.’