Hear with Ish

29/08/2026

People research hearing aid brands and features endlessly, but rarely ask about the small piece that actually sits in the ear canal. That piece does more to determine comfort, clarity and whistling than almost anything else.

It is either a dome, a soft silicone tip in standard sizes, or a custom mould made from an impression of your own ear. The choice affects how much sound reaches your eardrum, how much escapes and causes feedback, how your own voice sounds, and whether the aid is comfortable after a full day.

Domes involve a genuine trade-off. An open dome is heavily vented, feels natural and keeps your own voice sounding normal, but lets amplified sound leak out. When that reaches the microphone you get whistling. A closed or power dome seals better and allows more amplification, at the cost of a more plugged sensation.

A custom mould follows your canal exactly, sealing without pressing outwards, with the vent drilled to a precise size. Moulds usually suit moderate or greater losses, awkward canal shapes, persistent feedback, or anyone who finds a small handle easier to insert.

Signs the coupling is wrong: whistling when you hug someone or put a hat on, working loose during the day, your own voice sounding hollow, speech clear at home but lost in company, or soreness by evening. All are adjustable at a review rather than requiring a new hearing aid.

Wax is the main enemy of both. A blocked dome or mould bore is the commonest reason an aid gradually sounds weaker.

Read more in our blog: https://hearwithish.com/hearing-aid-domes-and-custom-moulds-why-the-small-part-in-your-ear-matters-most/

28/08/2026

It’s always so heartwarming to see my clients taking the time out of their day to share such lovely feedback. 💙

Every kind word and review genuinely means so much to me and reminds me why I love what I do. Feeling incredibly grateful to everyone who continues to trust me with their hearing care. 🧡

Thank you for supporting Hear with Ish.

27/08/2026

Little audiologists in the making! 👂🩺💙

I had such a wonderful time visiting the nursery and introducing the children to the world of hearing.

This is something that’s really important to me. Children may not often meet someone who wears hearing aids or have the opportunity to learn about hearing loss. I want to help change that by starting positive conversations early—making hearing aids feel familiar, helping to remove stigma and encouraging children to become more understanding and inclusive of others.

The children explored an otoscope, watched me look inside their teacher’s ear and played a fun listening game where they identified different animal sounds. They also had the opportunity to see and hold a hearing aid while learning how it helps people hear and communicate.

They had so much fun, asked brilliant questions and became little hearing experts for the day!

By raising awareness from a young age, we can help create a kinder and more inclusive world—one where wearing hearing aids is understood and completely normal. 💙

Would your nursery, school or community group enjoy an interactive hearing-awareness session? Get in touch with Hear with Ish—we’d love to visit!

📩 Send us a direct message
🌐 Visit hearwithish.com

Please note: Full parental consent was obtained before sharing any photographs or videos featuring the children.

20/08/2026

Manage fine in person but dread the phone? You are not imagining it, and it is one of the most common things patients raise with us.

The phone takes away almost everything your brain uses to fill in gaps. No lips to read, no facial expression, no gestures. Telephone audio is also compressed into a narrow band of frequencies, losing much of the detail that separates one consonant from another.

That matters more than it sounds. Vowels carry most of the volume and sit low down, while the consonants that actually distinguish words, the s, f, th, t and k sounds, sit much higher and are far quieter. Age-related and noise-related hearing loss both affect those high frequencies first, so the sounds the phone transmits worst are the ones you already hear least well. The two compound, which is why fifteen and fifty are indistinguishable on a call but clear in person.

A traditional call is also one-eared. The handset goes to your preferred side while the other ear listens to the room, so the two streams compete. Hence the same call being easy in silence and impossible in a busy kitchen.

Some fixes cost nothing. Move to a quiet room and close the door. Use the speakerphone deliberately so both ears get the signal. Switch to video where you can. Ask people to slow down instead of shouting, because shouting distorts consonants further.

Struggling only on the phone is a classic early pattern, so it is a good reason to have your hearing measured properly.

Read more in our blog: https://hearwithish.com/why-phone-calls-are-harder-than-face-to-face-conversation-and-what-actually-helps/

20/08/2026

15/08/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to the heart and backbone of Hear with Ish — our very own Ish! 🎂💙
Today we celebrate the incredible person behind Hear with Ish.
Ish is the passion, dedication and driving force behind everything we do. Her genuine care for every person who walks through the clinic doors, her commitment to providing truly personalised hearing care, and her determination to always go that extra mile are at the very heart of Hear with Ish.
The success of Hear with Ish simply wouldn’t be possible without her. What started as a vision has grown into something very special, and that is because of the love, hard work and dedication she puts into it every single day.
Happy Birthday, Ish! 🥳
We hope you have the most amazing day celebrating and wish you a wonderful year ahead filled with happiness, success, special memories and many more reasons to smile.
Here’s to another fantastic year of Hear with Ish! 💙🎈

12/08/2026

If a snoring partner, night shifts or a busy road is costing you sleep, custom ear plugs are worth understanding properly.

Foam plugs seal by being compressed, pushed in and expanding outwards against the canal walls. That outward pressure is what creates the seal, and it is also what starts aching when you are lying on your side for hours. Ear canals also vary enormously in width and curvature, so one foam size genuinely cannot suit everyone. If yours loosen and drift out, or never seem to seal, that is the product rather than your technique.

A custom plug is moulded from an impression of your own ear, so it follows your shape and seals without pressing outwards. Comfort against a pillow is the biggest single advantage, and it is what makes nightly use realistic.

Shift workers benefit most clearly, since daytime sleep means contending with traffic, deliveries and neighbours while the body clock is already working against you. Anyone sharing a bed with a snorer is the other big group, because snoring is low pitched and intermittent, and the brain reacts to each new onset.

Fitting takes one short appointment with Ish in Leicester. Both ears are checked first, because an impression cannot be taken over a wax build-up, then impressions are taken and the specification discussed.

One honest caveat: if ringing inside your ears is what keeps you awake, plugs are usually the wrong answer and can make tinnitus more noticeable.

Read more in our blog: https://hearwithish.com/custom-ear-plugs-for-sleep-a-practical-guide-for-shift-workers-and-light-sleepers/

11/08/2026

🚨 Sudden hearing loss? Please don’t assume it’s just ear wax.

If you suddenly notice a significant drop in your hearing — particularly in one ear — it’s important to act quickly.

Sudden hearing loss can sometimes feel like:
👂 A blocked or full ear
🔇 A sudden reduction in hearing
🔔 New or sudden tinnitus
🗣️ Speech suddenly sounding muffled or unclear

It can be tempting to think, “It’s probably just wax, I’ll wait and see.”

But NICE guidance states that unexplained hearing loss developing suddenly over 3 days or less, within the previous 30 days, should be referred immediately to ENT or an emergency department, to be seen within 24 hours.

Sometimes the cause may be something straightforward such as ear wax — but when it isn’t, getting the right medical attention quickly matters.

💙 Please share this post. Someone you know might experience sudden hearing loss one day, and knowing what to do could make an important difference.

At Hear with Ish, your hearing health and getting you to the right care at the right time will always come first.

📍 Leicester
📞 Call or WhatsApp: 07349 269037
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.hearwithish.com

Audiologist AudiologistLeicester Leicester EarHealth Tinnitus HearingCare IndependentAudiologist

08/08/2026

Has one ear felt duller than the other for a while? Hearing loss in one ear is more common than most people think, and it very often goes unaddressed because the better ear compensates so effectively.

Your two ears are separate organs with separate blood supplies, nerve pathways and exposure histories, so there is no reason they must age or fail at the same rate. The causes we see most frequently are a wax build-up blocking the canal, fluid behind the eardrum after a cold, noise damage that affected one side more, and age-related change progressing unevenly.

One thing is genuinely urgent. If hearing drops suddenly on one side over minutes, hours or a couple of days, and it is not clearly wax or congestion, seek same-day medical attention. The window for effective treatment is short.

Even when the change is slow, one good ear is not the same as two. Your brain compares what each ear receives to place sound and separate a voice from background noise. Without that, noisy rooms become exhausting and you find yourself constantly angling the good ear towards whoever is speaking. That effort is why one-sided loss often shows up as tiredness first.

A full assessment with Ish in Leicester covers your history, video otoscopy of both ears so you can see what she sees, separate diagnostic testing of each ear, and a plain-English explanation of the findings. Where wax is the cause it can often be cleared in the same appointment.

Read more in our blog: https://hearwithish.com/hearing-loss-in-one-ear-what-causes-it-and-when-to-get-it-checked/

04/08/2026

🦻 “I can hear people talking... I just can’t understand what they’re saying.”

This is one of the most common phrases I hear in clinic—and it’s also one of the earliest signs of hearing loss.

Many people think hearing loss is simply about things becoming quieter. In reality, it’s often about clarity, not volume.

If you find yourself:
🔹 Asking people to repeat themselves
🔹 Struggling to follow conversations in restaurants or family gatherings
🔹 Turning the TV up more than everyone else
🔹 Feeling tired after conversations because you’re concentrating so hard...
..it may be time to have your hearing checked.

The good news? A comprehensive hearing assessment can identify the cause and help you find the best solution for your hearing and lifestyle.

At Hear with Ish, we’re passionate about helping you reconnect with the sounds—and the people—that matter most.

💙 Because everyone deserves to hear life’s best moments.

📞 Call or WhatsApp: 07349 269037
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.hearwithish.com

👇 Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Everyone just mumbles these days”? Let us know in the comments!

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