The 3Rs of Checking Your Own Hearing is a very easy-to-remember self-check that you can use on a regular basis as an early warning system for any changes in your own hearing. You don't need any special equipment. It's all based on things you'll encounter in every day life.

Local musician, Janet Dietz, explains here how she developed an ear condition in her early 20s that caused her to lose confidence in her ability to perform. But through the efforts, encouragement and expertise of Will Parfitt, one of our hearing aid audiologists here, she has been able do things she thought she'd never again have the chance or confidence to do.

She nominated Will for the 2009 Audiologist of the Year, and he was recognised for his efforts by the independent panel of judges as "highly commended".

The latest research shows that we talk an average of 16,000 words a day – and contrary to popular belief, it's about the same for women as it is for men!

So think how many words we hear on a daily basis – and it's not just the conversation we're listening to. It's all those ones we overhear, the ones on the radio and TV... but are we about to miss the best conversation of our lives?

In this article you will discover why it's good to have sticky-out ears; how the smallest bones in our body pack a punch above their weight; and how creating waves in the bath gives us a glimpse of how our ears work.

In this article you'll discover the difference between simply hearing speech and understanding speech, and why more people have problems understanding speech than they do simply hearing it.

Our hearing is incredible. It can save our life, improve our memory, lift us out of the doldrums, connect us to people, and even change our destiny. But what's the real purpose of our hearing, and could we do with out it?