Dozens of residents took advantage of free hearing checks last Friday when the Australian Hearing bus made a stop in Parkes. Australian Hearing now has three busses in their fleet, delivering free hearing checks to remote and regional areas across the country. The tests take just a few minutes, and involve listening to a range of beeps and
whistles and indicating when you can hear them. The softest sounds you can hear are marked on your audiogram.
Hearing impairment is a surprisingly common condition. Hearing naturally deteriorates as we age, but because it is a
gradual change many people don’t realise their hearing is declining. Hearing loss affects 60% of people over the age of 60, and 85% of people who experience hearing difficulties don’t do anything about it. But while hearing health is often overlooked, it is a very important part of life.
While hearing damage is usually permanent, there are a range of aids and products that can help. If you missed the bus, Australian Hearing are running free screenings on the 4th October at Parkes Pharmacy and the 5th of October at Ron Dunford Chemist.