Courtesy of the Daily Mercury

A HEARING clinic at the GP Superclinic in Ooralea is giving away tickets to see Elton John and his band, along with custom-made musician’s earplugs.

Mackay Hearing director and principal audiologist, Jodie Miles, said the clinic has had success over its first 12 months, so they are running the competition, aimed at increasing awareness of how to protect your hearing, even at concerts.

Ms Miles said: “Mackay Hearing has only been open just over 12 months, we opened around the end of March last year.

“I’m blown away with the success of Mackay Hearing. There’s such a demand for our services, and I think it’s because we are local to Mackay. We are the only local hearing provider.

“I’m providing hearing testing to adults and children, including babies from birth, we do ear plugs, hearing aid fittings, and children’s services.

“We are attracting a lot of people from the Valley and also Sarina, because the majority of our clients are older and they don’t want to go into the town centre.

“When we heard that Elton John was coming to Mackay, it seemed the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community and let people know that you don’t have to compromise your hearing to enjoy an amazing event like this.

“Exposure to loud noise can damage the ear and cause permanent hearing loss.

“Noise is considered excessive when you must use a raised voice or shout in order to be able to speak to someone a metre away, and 37% of all hearing loss in Australia is due to exposure to excessive levels of noise.

“We’re ending the competition a couple of weeks before the actual concert so that we have time to get the person in, because it takes a week to make the ear plugs.

“Musician’s ear plugs protect your hearing from dangerous levels of noise, but still allow you to hear and have a conversation.

“They have different levels of filters in them depending on the amount of noise you are trying to block out, people use them when they are working as well to protect from machinery noise.

“For a pair of those it’s about $330. You have to get a mould done in the clinic here, then it’s sent to New Zealand where they are made, then they come back and we show the person how to fit them in their ears. Elton John and his band will be visiting Mackay for their Once in a Lifetime tour on September 22. Mackay Hearing’s Music to Your Ears competition will score one lucky winner a double pass to the show, a $100 Ocean International dinner voucher and a pair of custom made ear plugs.

To enter the competition, Mackay Hearing want to know what your favourite Elton John song is and why.

“My personal favourite is I’m Still Standing – it truly is music to my ears,” Ms Miles said

Entries close September 11 2017 and can be made in person at Mackay Hearing, at the Boundary Road GP Superclinic, or online at mackayhearing.com.au.

Article appeared in the Daily Mercury on 31 August 2017.

View article online – click here.

Find out more about Mackay Hearing at mackayhearing.com.au or call 4952 4649.