Villena Launches Free Hearing Check Campaign for Over 60s

Villena City Council, in collaboration with hearing centres associated with Comercios y Servicios Vi, has launched a new free hearing check campaign aimed at people over 60 in Villena. This initiative will take place from May 27 to July 15 and aims to reach 5,000 people through the distribution of informative letters.

The main goal of the campaign is to timely detect potential hearing losses and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining auditory health in the elderly. To this end, individuals over 60 can book an appointment at any of the participating hearing centres: Audiocalia Murillo, Audiocentro Sanchiz, Clara Audición, Óptica Esquembre Centro Auditivo, and Óptica Parra Villena Audiología.

During the check-up, professionals will conduct otoscopies, air and bone conduction tonal audiometries, discomfort threshold evaluations, and speech audiometry tests, allowing for an accurate assessment of each patient's auditory condition.

"Good hearing is key to a healthy and active life. With this campaign, we aim to facilitate access to free hearing tests and prevent isolation or cognitive decline associated with hearing loss," highlighted Alba Laserna, the Health Councillor of Villena City Council.

Meanwhile, Jorge Sanchiz, head of Audiocentro Sanchiz, noted that "early diagnosis is crucial. Many people are unaware of their hearing loss until it affects their daily lives. This campaign allows for timely detection of any issues and appropriate action."

Participation in the campaign requires an appointment at any of the participating centres. For more information, interested parties can visit the municipal plan's website, call, or directly visit their reference hearing centre.

During the check-up, simple tests are conducted to assess auditory health. Otoscopy allows viewing inside the ear to detect potential issues like blockages or infections. Tonal audiometry measures which sounds a person can hear and through which ear pathway. The discomfort threshold indicates what volume is uncomfortable. Speech audiometry evaluates whether, besides hearing, the person can understand what is heard.