New research investigating the hearing health of adults in Britain has discovered that 3 in 5 struggle to hear conversations in noisy places; a phenomenon known as the “co*cktail party effect”. The “co*cktail party effect” refers to our ability to focus on speech of interest in the presence of background noise, for example in noisy social settings.
The research, carried out by hearing training experts eargym, found 3 in 5 people said they “sometimes” or “occasionally” struggle to hear the person they’re speaking to over the background noise.
Almost 1 in 10 (8%) of the adults surveyed said they “always” struggle to hear what somebody is saying to them when there is background noise.
Hearing loss affects 12 million adults in the UK. One of the early signs of hearing loss is a difficulty hearing other people clearly and needing people to repeat themselves. Some individuals with hearing loss will feel fatigued or stressed after socialising due to the cognitive effort required to keep up with conversations.
Amanda Philpott, hearing health expert and CEO at eargym said: “The co*cktail party effect might sound like a bit of fun, but if you’re frequently struggling to hear conversations in pubs and noisy places, it might not just be a result of too many co*cktails. When adults notice changes in their hearing they often wait years before seeking help, when they could have been protecting and prolonging their hearing that entire time.
“If there’s one thing I would like people to take from this survey, it’s that we should all be checking our hearing just as often as we’re checking our teeth and eyes. Hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. This is a common misconception. There’s lots we can do to protect and prolong our hearing health, from regular checks to hearing training and wearing ear protection.
“Our hearing has a pronounced impact on our social and cognitive wellbeing, so looking after it is essential for a long, happy and healthy life. Let’s make hearing checks as normal and routine as dental and eye check-ups.”
Christian Hill, 49, paramedic and hearing aid user from Northamptonshire, said: “I noticed my hearing worsening in my forties (although it was many more years before I sought help). I first started to find hearing conversations and talking with people more challenging and would have to constantly ask people to repeat themselves or move closer so that I could hear them better. On nights out I would find myself unable to join in with conversations as I couldn't hear what people were saying. Trying to focus on what a person was saying with all the background noise was impossible at times.
"At first I thought "it's just one of those things", but over time it got to the point of frustration - not just for me, but for those around me. So I went to see my GP. I was diagnosed with hearing loss and fitted with a hearing aid.
"Since my diagnosis I've used my hearing aid and hearing training through the eargym app to improve my hearing. Both my hearing aid and hearing training have helped me to be much better at tuning into what I want to hear amongst background noise and distractions. I wish I'd sought help sooner."
What is the “co*cktail party effect”?
Have you ever been in a social situation - like a pub, bar or party - where you’ve struggled to hear what your friends or family members are saying to you?
This is a phenomenon known as the “co*cktail party effect”, which refers to our ability to focus on speech of interest in the presence of background noise, for example in noisy social settings.
The “co*cktail party effect" can be an early sign of hearing loss. It can affect anyone, regardless of age. However, difficulty hearing others in noisy places doesn’t always mean you’re losing your hearing.
How to tell if your environment is too loud
The decibel scale is typically used to measure how loud noises are. Repeated and prolonged exposure to sounds over 70dB can cause hearing damage.
You should be able to have a conversation with someone who is standing two metres away from you in a social situation without having to shout. If you can’t hear others over the background noise at two metres or less, it’s likely the noise levels you’re experiencing in your environment are too loud. Try moving to a quieter spot so you can comfortably have a conversation whilst protecting your hearing.
How to prevent the “co*cktail party effect”
Give your ears a break
Taking regular breaks when you’re in noisy environments can make all the difference when it comes to protecting your hearing. When you are exposed to loud noises in your environment, step outside and away from the noise at regular intervals to give your ears a moment to recover and your brain a chance to rest.
Practise the 60/60 rule when using headphones
The 60/60 rule involves listening to headphones at no more than 60% volume for a maximum of sixty minutes at a time before taking a break. Regular breaks when listening to headphones are essential to reduce the risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and the co*cktail party effect.
Train your hearing
Contrary to popular belief, hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. It’s entirely possible to train your brain to get better at processing sounds.
You can train your hearing using apps. You can also try this quick exercise to practise understanding speech when there’s background noise.
Put on your favourite TV show or podcast, and play some white noise alongside it from another device - Spotify or Youtube are great for finding white noise tracks
Turn up the volume of the white noise track until you can’t hear what is being said in the TV show or podcast. Then reduce the volume down to a level where you can just about follow along. Make a note of this volume.
Listen to the TV show alongside the white noise for at least 10 minutes and repeat daily, noting how loud the white noise gets before you stop being able to make out the words on the TV show each time.
Make sure you keep the volume at a safe level under 60% and set the volume of the TV or podcast to the same comfortable level each time. The lower the better, as you’ll then need a lower white noise volume.
Gradually, you should notice that you are able to understand what is being said in the TV show or podcast over the white noise at an ever-increasing volume. At your next social event, you should be able to better understand conversation over the background noise.
Check your hearing regularly
Regularly checking your hearing health is really important at all ages. A trip to your local audiologist, or a quick hearing check using an app like eargym, will help you spot any changes in your hearing capacity so you can seek help if you need it.
Remember: hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. Checking and training your hearing regularly can significantly improve your hearing health span before your hearing starts to deteriorate.
