Leightons Talking Points (Spring 2021)

Spring 2021

INSIDE Helping you stay connected Hearing, vision and brain health

Excellent leightons.co.uk

20/20 Vision Care How we’re here to help

Interview with hearing aid wearer Getting the right hearing aid for you

Sensitive to noise?

Misophonia and Hyperacusis explained

Available in prescription STYLE SHOWN: ALELELE BRIDGE

The view’s better from here.

PolarizedPlus2® Sunglasses

Welcome to the latest edition of our magazine, bringing you all the news and insight from the Leightons Hearing and Optical teams. In this issue, you’ll f ind some expert analysis and information to help you get the most out of life this spring.

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message FROM Ryan Hello and welcome to the first Talking Points of 2021!

I

must confess, before writing this, I looked back at our last edition of Talking Points, published in the first week of March 2020, and it felt like decades ago. Still, as Albert Einstein once wrote in a letter to his son, “Life is like riding a bicycle: to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

And keep moving we will. Once again, I must take the opportunity to thank you for your unwavering support over the past year; it’s really been quite remarkable and just goes to show the strength of our local communities.

We have learnt a great deal, adapted in all sorts of ways, and now as we head into 2021 we will work together and

fi nd more new and exciting ways to help you and your loved ones to live life to the full.

It goes without saying that in 2020 we all embraced the importance of staying connected. Due to the restrictions, we introduced a blended approach to hearing care, which meant our audiologists started to deliver a personalised hearing care service on phone and video calls, alongside in-person consultations. Once again, we learnt a great deal from this and there are some incredibly powerful benefi ts, so we are delighted to be further developing this blended care approach, which you can learn more about on the following page.

Alongside this, we examine the impact that lockdown has had on our eyesight, and how our eye care services have been adapted for the times. Plus, we explore the rather less well-known topic of sensitivity to sound, and our hearing team share details of the very latest hearing aid technology from Oticon.

I hope you enjoy this edition, and we look forward to welcoming you in practice again soon.

Ryan Leighton, CEO

To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 03

helping you stay connected

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e’ve all been part of a world which, during 2020, became strangely disconnected through lockdowns, social distancing and more. But with this disconnection has come a new focus on the importance of family, near and far, the value of conversation and enjoying moments that bring us closer together, without effort or frustration.

At Leightons we focus on how to use the best hearing aid technology, as well as a blended care approach to ensure optimal safety, convenience and care tailored to your individual preferences to help you stay connected to the ones you care for.

Zooming in on Technolog y We’re working with hearing aid technology that can help you stay connected seamlessly throughout your day to all your devices:

Exceptional care tailored to my needs “ I have visited Leightons about my vision and also hearing. For both I had exceptional care. Detailed and careful examination, explanation of different options. I am very pleased with both my spectacles and hearing aids which are exactly right for me.”

Excellent 04 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

• To your phone – • Your devices at direct streaming home, such as when your the TV. phone rings.

• Connect to your audiologist for remote adjustment, if needed.

our

blended care approach involves:

1

Initial telephone conversation, or online consultation – meet your audiologist and discuss your requirements and medical history.

2

In practice hearing evaluation, choice of options and recommendations and, where required, a choice of cutting-edge technology to suit your lifestyle, individual preferences and hearing.

3

Hearing aids can also be programmed or adjusted remotely and follow-up consultations can also be carried out remotely or in person.

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For those who prefer an in-person experience, we will fi t your hearing aids and advise you on their use in practice.

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Family members can join in to hear all about how amazing your hearing aids are, if you want to invite them to a remote appointment.

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You can connect with us anywhere, anytime, at your convenience. As long as you have an internet connection, we’re one click away.

Experts in person-centred care

As a family-owned and family-run independent business, serving our communities for over 93 years, we are here to help you with all your hearing care needs.

Call our Dedicated Patient Support Team on 0800 40 20 20 or visit leightons.co.uk/book.

To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 05

vision care 20/20

20/20 is widely known as the term for perfect vision (meaning that you can see from a distance of 20 feet what the average person should be able to see from 20 feet), but we can all agree that on the whole, the year 2020 was far from perfect. However, it was also a year of learning, of adapting, of building trust, and ultimately of continuing to deliver expert care as we have for 93 years.

06 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

2020 delivered formative experiences for many of us, changing our approach to daily life in many ways, and it has been no different here at Leightons. Many of our innovations have brought such value to our patients that they have become permanent additions to our service offering, and this year we continue to look ahead with new ways to delight you with the best possible experience.

Looking af ter your vision Last year, Leightons registered several of our practices with the Covid-19 Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES), and had our optometrists accredited to offer the service. This enabled us to support face-to-face appointments where required, alongside our remote care services. We continued to offer same-day access to optometrists and, if needed, provided direct emergency referral following a telephone consultation to ensure expert care remained available to those who needed it.

We also introduced remote aftercare for contact lens wearers, as well as a home delivery postal service so your lenses, nutritional supplements and eye drops were available to you even during the lockdown period.

Bryony Allen Professional Services Manager for Optometry, speaks about how the clinical team are adapting to “the new normal”: “ E mergency care has become all about having to think outside the box to minimise contact wherever possible. With many people now spending far more time in front of screens and working from home during lockdown, we have to approach cases from a different perspective, looking at whether conditions could be managed with lifestyle adjustments or a simple change in care routine. “ Our work also encompasses contacting GPs on behalf of patients to ensure they are seen in appropriate timescales, and providing reassurances where non-essential procedures, such as routine cataract surgeries, may have been put on hold. We are here to navigate the new world with every individual who needs us.”

Building on learnings from 2020, your eye examination with an optometrist can now begin before you walk in the door. From the beginning of last year’s Spring lockdown, our optometrists have been available for consultations and advice over the phone, with remote resolution of issues wherever possible, making their expertise accessible to more people than ever before.

As well as communication technology, we are also utilising our clinical technology to the utmost, allowing us to image and examine your eyes in the greatest detail while staying at a comfortable and safe distance.

Gurpreet Singh Branch Manager & Dispensing Optician at Leightons Camberley, explains everything that goes into helping people discover their perfect look during a style consultation:

Looking af ter your style Although our practices were closed for several months in 2020, we could not let that prevent us looking after your glasses. So a small team of our qualified dispensing opticians jumped in their cars to provide our services remotely, travelling all over the South of England to support those who required emergency repairs or replacements. Since reopening, we have also introduced thorough sanitising processes for all frames on our shelves, so you can rest assured that they are always safe to touch.

“ Picking out frames is about so much more than someone’s face shape. Yes, I look at skin tone, hair colour and clothing too, but it’s also about your character.

Through lockdown, many people turned to online purchasing, but when it comes to your glasses, visiting in-person is crucial to make sure that the fitting and style is exactly right for you.

“ W hile we’re talking and looking at frames, I’ll watch your reactions to help shape the direction we need to go in. There are over 100 different processes going on in my head, and no single one is more important than another, they’re all happening at the same time. By the time I show you my first suggestion for your new frames, I’ll have already thought of 20 or 30 different ones, and probably then dismissed some too. We really are your optical personal stylists; seeing people’s delight when they’ve found their perfect glasses is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.”

Book an appointment Providing you with high quality products and care as safely as possible remains our highest priority. You can book an eye examination, or a style consultation to find your new look, by calling our Dedicated Patient Support team on 0800 40 20 20, or visit leightons.co.uk/book.

“ I’ll have a chat with you, really listen to what you’re saying – perhaps you’re starting a new job and want to look very professional, or you want to brighten things up and go very colourful. Or perhaps you have no specific look in mind at all!

To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 07

Richard Stent

(Practice Owner and Optometrist for 20 years) “ For me, a key value is professionalism in our service, working to a high standard, being correct and precise. Offering continuity of care which is friendly and caring is vital for providing the right customer experience. “ I’ve worn hearing aids previously from the NHS and privately, and for me a personalised approach is really important. “ The appointment was one hour, and a detailed history was taken. It was interesting to see the graphic and have my hearing status explained in a way that was easy to understand.

top-end functionality “ my life with ” hearing There was so much choice – for me, the

allowing connectivity to the phone and TV was important. They are discreet and rechargable too.

aids

To book your FREE full fearing assessment call our Dedicated Patient Support Team on 0800 40 20 20 or visit leightons.co.uk/book.

“ The quality of the sound surprised me as it is more natural and my hearing so significantly enhanced – I can hear the sparkling bubbles in water now and hadn’t realised I’d been without this sound.

“ Using hearing aids has made conversation more spontaneous, there’s less repetition. The hearing aid is behind my ear, but the great sound quality is a real pay-off. “ I’ve really noticed how writing while listening has become so much easier at work. I’m managing to hear staff at work and my family at home so much better too.

“Managing hearing and vision is so important to overall health, my wife has had a hearing test too!”

Danny Danziger (Patient Inter view)

“As my hearing changed, I learned to “box clever” and made adaptations when visiting my favourite places, drinks parties and dinners or carrying out interviews, which is an essential part of my work life as a journalist. “ Having tried hearing aids before, I was somewhat unsure of the possible outcome for getting hearing aids. My wife suggested I consider new hearing aids and I found it helpful to talk to a friend who wears the latest hearing aids, too.

My optometrist advised a hearing test and suggested that it might be a good idea to try some new hearing aids, as technology has advanced considerably.

the future “holds in hearing

“ I liked my audiologist, enormously. Her manner was friendly and professional.

She gave me confidence. She was able to answer my questions about the procedure as well as the hearing technology available. I felt much more savvy about the brain’s role in hearing and managing in noise.

and continue to be fascinated about the role of the brain in hearing.

“ Since receiving my hearing aids, I am able to manage in conversation with greater ease and notice I am less tired at the end of the day, as listening is less effort. My primary concern was defeating the crowded restaurant, and this has improved considerably, though it is still not perfect. My hearing aids are comfortable and managing on the phone is also a lot easier, as my hearing aids can stream directly from the phone.

“Conversation has become easier and communication in general is easier with the family. “ Through my conversation with my audiologist, I have discovered a lot about the misconceptions associated with hearing loss and general lack of knowledge in this area.”

08 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

I’m interested to learn what

technology

BOOK TODAY Call 0800 40 20 20 or visit leightons.co.uk/book.

”

HEAR NOW PAY LATER

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Pay just 30% today for your new hearing aids.

Repay over 10 months.

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Ask in practice for more details or visit leightons.co.uk/paylater Terms & Conditions apply.

To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 09

lockdown and the

impact on our eyesight

L

ife under lockdown has been tough for all of us. Separation from loved ones, the complete disruption of our normal daily routine, and the uncertainty clouding everyone’s future. As well as our mental health, there’s also been an impact on the health of our eyesight.

Lockdown has meant we’ve all been watching TV, using our phones, playing on tablets and reading books much more than usual. In fact book sales in the UK have hit an eight-year high.

A recent poll by Fight for Sight and YouGov found that 49%1 of us have found their screen time has increased since the pandemic, while 38% believe their eyesight has been affected as a result. With all this time looking at screens and reading tiny text, our eyes get tired very quickly. This can lead to a condition called DES – digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome.

What is DES?

leading to fatigue and ultimately DES.

DES is caused by prolonged focusing on a digital screen. It is similar to other repetitive stress injuries caused by carrying out the same activity over and over again, without taking enough breaks.

What’s more, looking at a screen for prolonged periods causes us to blink less, meaning our eyes dry out faster.

When you use a laptop or desktop, your eyes may be constantly moving across the screen, shifting from the keyboard to the screen and focusing on the changing display images, however all of these tasks are at a fi xed close distance.

Maintaining a fi xed focus at a close distance for a long period of time can tire the ciliary muscles in your eyes,

“

Do I have DES? Most people who work with screens regularly experience some form of eye trouble. Common symptoms of DES include: • Eye strain • Headaches • Dry or watery eyes • Redness in the eyes • Double vision • Vertigo or dizziness • Blurred vision • Tired eyes

We’ve all been

watching TV, using our phones, playing on tablets and reading books much more than usual

10 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

1

”

https://www.fi ghtforsight.org.uk/news-and-articles/articles/news/screen-time/

How to prevent DES To beat digital eye strain, remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes of screen viewing time you should take a 20-second break and look at something around 20-feet away. Your eyes will thank you for it.

As well as frequent screen breaks and remembering to blink regularly, it’s important to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to keep your eyes and body topped up.

You might also benefi t from ‘computer glasses’. These spectacles are designed to help keep the focus of the eyes comfortable, specifi cally when using computer screens, and may incorporate a special anti-refl ective coating to reduce glare from the computer screen.

Diff iculty reading small print text?

If you’ve noticed a change in your eyesight during lockdown, it could be presbyopia. This perfectly normal agerelated change happens to everyone around the age of 40 or over. It is characterised by eyestrain from shifting your focus between close and distant points, diffi culty in seeing near objects clearly in low light conditions and problems focusing on very small print.

Presbyopia can be corrected by using reading lenses, bifocals or progressive lenses, also known as ‘varifocals’.

Your optometrist can recommend suitable lubricating eye drops which may help reduce the symptoms of DES, especially if your eyes are getting dry or red.

Presbyopia: QUICK FACTS • Makes reading more diffi cult.

• It is caused by a hardening of the lens in the eye.

• Usually develops around the age of 40 or later.

• It affects everyone and is a natural part of ageing.

“

To beat

digital eye strain remember the 20-20-20 rule

”

The top part of the lens is focused for distance vision, the middle of the lens is focused for intermediate (usually arm’s length) vision and the bottom of the lens is focused for reading vision. There is no line across the lens as the three zones are blended.

With varifocals you get a smooth, continuous image from the top to the bottom of the lens, without any image jump as you change from one distance to another.

Book an eye examination We are open by appointment and here for you. To book an appointment, call us on 0800 40 20 20 or visit leightons.co.uk/book.

PROVIDING YOU WITH

COMPLETE PEACE OF MIND AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE • An annual Ultimate or OCT Eye Examination (dependent on location) • 20% off glasses and sunglasses • Exclusive contact lens prices • 10% off hearing aids

only

12

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• Complimentary ear wax removal Membership of MyLeightons means complete care for your eyes and hearing, all for just £12 a month, or £20 a month for the MyLeightons Family membership.

For more information visit www.leightons.co.uk/myleightons

TO SEE.0800TO HEAR. TO LIVE. 40 20 20 leightons.co.uk | 11

02 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928 To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

sensitive to noise?

misophonia &hyperacusis explained

D

o you have an emotional reaction to everyday sounds, like someone eating with their mouth open, chewing loudly, or tapping a pen on a desk? This could mean you have acute sensitivity to sound – or, in medical terms, misophonia or hyperacusis.

What is misophonia?

The defi nition of misophonia is hatred of sound. People with the condition fi nd their hearing is particularly sensitive to certain sounds, which can trigger responses ranging from moderate discomfort to panic or distress. Support group Misophonia UK has published an activation scale, which grades the severity of misophonia responses.

“

When I hear a trigger sound, I feel an

unbearable feeling of rage inside, I get stressed out, my heart beats faster.

I have a fight or flight response.

To understand what it’s like living with misophonia, we spoke to Louise, a lifelong sufferer of the condition.

“It’s a very visceral, powerful response. It can range from sheer hatred of the sound to outright panic.

I can get highly emotional, or very angry, depending on the situation.

“For me, it’s all about repetitive noises, like tapping sounds or irregular buzzes, beeps or pings. Snoring, eating noises, whistling, nose whistling or wheezing sounds, certain types of music, birdsong, even distant muffl ed TVs or radios – they all drive 12 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

”

me crackers. They make me feel panicked.”

How to live with misophonia Louise has some useful tips for other sufferers. “If I hear a trigger sound, I fi nd that mimicking the sound out loud can help to distract my mind from the feelings of panic and anger. I’d also recommend people speak to other sufferers, through the Misophonia Support Group Facebook page, which has 17,000 members across the world, or Misophonia UK.”

What is hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is a similar condition, whereby intolerance to particular frequencies of sound can cause severe pain or panic attacks.

Hyperacusis is often caused by exposure to excessively loud noise earlier in life.

There are some common trigger sounds for people living with misophonia and hyperacusis. These include: • Sounds made with the mouth including chewing, nail-biting and talking while eating.

• Breathing sounds such as snoring, loud breathing and yawning.

• Animal noises like dogs barking, pets licking their fur and claws scratching.

• Sounds made by heavy equipment including lawn mowers and air conditioning units.

FREE

What causes sensitive hearing?

There is not one known cause of misophonia and hyperacusis, but doctors think they could be related to the way sound enters your brain and triggers responses in your body.

The conditions can be linked to a number of other problems, including:

or surgical interventions that can treat misophonia and hyperacusis, it is possible to manage them – and treating underlying causes may also help.

Start by going for a hearing test, to determine whether you have hearing loss or another problem with your ears.

FULL HEARING ASSESSMENT If noise sensitivity is having a negative effect on your daily life, you should think about booking a FREE full hearing assessment by calling our Dedicated Patient Support team on 0800 40 20 20 or visiting leightons.co.uk/book

• Tinnitus • Hearing loss • Damage to the ear or brain, for example, from ear surgery, regular exposure to loud noises or a head injury • Migraines • Bad reaction to medication

How to get help for misophonia and hyperacusis Sensitivity to sound often has a real impact on everyday life. Although there are no specifi c medicines To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 13

Oticon More™

More Freedom. More Possibilities.

Oticon have unveiled their latest in hearing aid innovation: Oticon More™.

Their groundbreaking technology helps you live life to the full and make more of every little detail, in perfect balance and clarity. It is a product of the latest engineering and hearing aid innovation, so you can hear with less effort and tune in to a higher quality, more natural sound.

The trailblazing technolog y inside Oticon More™ Until now, hearing aids have been built using simple man-made rules of categorising sound into speech or noise, letting all noise in or focusing on just one source.

MoreSound Intelligence™ (the groundbreaking technology behind Oticon More™) gives you the latest in hearing aid technology, in 4 parts: • The DNN: gathers more information about the sounds around you, to help provide a clearer and more authentic picture of the soundscape.

• MoreSound Intelligence™: the processor behind the scenes, this will organise the sounds coming through and decide which sounds and voices to prioritise and deliver to you.

• MoreSound Amplifier™: delivers the information to your brain, providing you with 6 times the resolution of previous hearing aids for the clearest possible sounds available from Oticon.

• Polaris™ platform: a tiny chip within the More™ hearing aids which gives you twice the speed of other hearing aids meaning sounds reach your ears and brain quicker.

What sets Oticon More™ apar t?

Oticon More™ is the world’s f irst hearing aid to give the brain the full perspective. Don’t take our word for it, Oticon cites the key to More™ as being “thanks to a breakthrough in hearing aid technology like nothing before – a highly intelligent Deep Neural Network (DNN) ”.

The Oticon Deep Neural Network is a new way for your hearing aid to look at your hearing. It is state of the art Artif icial Intelligence (AI) built into your hearing aid, assessing the sounds and bringing you a clearer and more authentic soundscape, with all of the multiple sounds and voices around you. Here are some of the many benefi ts of the Oticon More™ hearing aids: • Oticon More™ makes sounds up to 60% clearer inside 14 | Giving the very best customer care since 1928

the brain.

• Best enhancement of speech and reduced background noise in hearing aid technology.

• Integrated with the latest in hearing aid artifi cial intelligence from the Deep Neural Network.

• The AI has been trained with 12 million real-life sound scenes.

• The sound scene is scanned 500 times per second.

• Works seamlessly across varying listening environments.

• Connects to Apple and Android devices with Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) via Bluetooth ® hearing aid technology.

• All aids are rechargeable, with a full day’s power in just three hours, or a 30 minute charge for six hours of power.

Ashish Shah Audiologist & Hearing Aid Consultant “ The Oticon More™ range of hearing aids offers a revolutionary way of thinking about hearing in environments with background noise. It allows the brain to process sounds in a far more natural way without having to compromise on sound quality.”

Book your FREE full hearing assessment or hearing aid consultation today by calling 0800 40 20 20 or visiting leightons.co.uk/book

It’s time to get more out of life

New Oticon More™ hearing aids Traditionally, hearing aids enhance speech and reduce other sounds. But your brain needs more. That’s why Oticon More gives your brain access to the full sound scene. What’s more, it connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth® technology, and it recharges while you sleep.

Are you ready for more?

Apple, Apple, the the Apple Apple logo, logo, iPhone, iPhone, iPad, iPad, and and iPod iPod touch touch are are trademarks trademarks of of Apple Apple Inc., Inc., registered registered in in the the U.S. U.S. and and other other countries. countries. App App Store Store is is aa service service mark mark of of Apple Apple Inc. Inc. Android, Android, Google Google Play, Play, and and the the Google Google Play Play logo logo are are trademarks trademarks of of Google Google LLC. LLC.

Contact us now for more information ® on Oticon More hearing aids.

To book an appointment or for help and advice please get in touch

0800 40 20 20

leightons.co.uk | 15

Person-centred care, putting you first As an accredited partner of the Ida Institute, world leaders in person-centred care, we’re proud to provide the highest levels of care and personal service so you can make the most of your hearing.

TOTAL PEACE OF MIND FOR YOUR HEARING • 60 Day Money Back Guarantee

• Free Servicing & Maintenance

• Hear Now. Pay Later.

• 3-5 Years’ Free Warranty

• Free Batteries

• Lifetime Aftercare

To book a FREE Full Hearing Assessment, call 0800 40 20 20 or visit leightons.co.uk/book

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