Issue January 2007

There should be a law against it>>
ATR campaign to ban unlocking MP3 players

To comply with EU Law manufacturers have locked the volume control on UK and EU MP3 players to reduce the noise output to safer levels. We were shocked to hear that a number of eBay sellers are blatantly selling instructions on how to unlock the volume of certain MP3 players ... for just 99p.

We are outraged that anybody can be allowed to do this, and are starting a campaign to clamp down on this irresponsible and dangerous sales activity

Join our BAN THE UNLOCK campaign today to make it impossible for people to unlock the volume, or to sell "volume unlocking" instructions.



Your Experiences>>
Tinnitus and Binaural digital hearing aids

We have received a number of calls and letters from people who say their tinnitus improved after they had a binaural digital hearing aid fitted. ATR Trustee, Tony Markson has also experienced a lessening of his tinnitus since he's had his new digital hearing aid fitted.

Do you have a similar experience? We would love to hear from you, please contact us.



ATR Research News>>
Important questions to be answered

Hearing specialists and tinnitus researchers have recognised for some time that tinnitus is experienced in different ways by the patients they see. This can include variation in the tonality and apparent loudness of their tinnitus. Moreover, some patients report changes in the apparent loudness.

Read why this is important to the research trials taking place this year...



Information Sheets>>
Ear Syringing and tinnitus

Have you ever had your ears syringed? Quite a number of people say that their tinnitus began or was made worse after having their ears syringed.

Read our article on ear syringing and tinnitus.

NHS Direct advise on what to do if you have a build up of earwax. They say: "You should never put any object into your ears to try to clear earwax, as this can increase the chances of a blockage occurring."

Read NHS Direct advice on syringing and other ways of clearing earwax build up.



Media Case Studies>>
Living with Tinnitus

Dennis Flower of Hastings in Sussex has been affected by tinnitus for almost 20 years and believes it was triggered by regular exposure to excessive noise. As a typical teenager, he enjoyed clubbing...

Read Dennis' story



In the News>>
Hearing Clearer Awareness Month

The iPod generation may be unable to live without their beloved music players, but are they prepared to live with future hearing problems?



How severe is your tinnitus?

The ATA report on a German study recently published in December issue of the journal Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery into the severity of the tinnitus of more than 4,900 patients. Read the Forbes article on the study.