Take Part in the Great Big Hearing Test this January

Group conversations, background noise, music, and laughter are synonymous with family gatherings, especially at Christmas. But for those with hearing loss, what should be a happy time with loved ones can become a difficult and challenging experience.

Trying to keep up with chatter, process all the different sounds, and join in the festive activities really amplifies the difficulties that people with hearing loss face. These difficulties often motivate them to get their hearing checked, whether they had noticed it before or not.

With this in mind, we’ve polled 500 people in the UK that live with hearing loss. The survey aimed to understand their experiences when spending time with others, how that increases their likelihood of getting tested, as well as the impacts of treatment.

Sadly, it takes an average of a little over four years from people first noticing problems with their hearing to eventually getting tested. What’s more, over a fifth (22%) wait between five and 10 years, and one in six wait more than 10.

To encourage people to act sooner, we’ve launched our own awareness month – The Great Big Hearing Test – as its way of helping the nation hear better in 2025 and beyond.

For any adults that think they might be experiencing issues related to their ear health – whether that’s ear pain or discomfort, tinnitus, muffled speech, or even balance issues – they can book a free hearing test in January at a time that best suits them.

What better way to start the new year than with greater confidence in your hearing!

The connection between Christmas and hearing loss

For those that experience hearing loss, whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe, family gatherings, such as Christmas, aren’t always full of cheer. In fact, according to our research, 64% of people impacted find getting together with their loved ones hard to navigate, with parents experiencing the difficulties even more (66%).

As a result, almost one in five (18%) report limiting how much time they spend with their family and friends. As well as this, almost one in 12 (7%) avoid these events altogether, which can lead to heightened feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Looking at how this differs across different generations, Millennials find it harder than any other age group, closely followed by Generation X. But what role does the festive period play in people’s decisions to get their hearing tested?

Well, just under two thirds (62%) of those with hearing loss said that Christmas gatherings encouraged them to seek help. And within this, over one in five (22%) highlighted it as the main reason for their test.

Why it’s important to act sooner rather than later

Coming to terms with hearing loss will be different for everyone but the improvements people can experience with treatment can make it all worth it. In fact, when respondents were asked if they wish they acted sooner, 71% said they did.

Those with children (74%) agreed with this statement more than those without (64%) and millennials (80%) were more likely than any other generation to share this wish.

If you start to notice any of the symptoms associated with hearing loss – whether that’s at Christmas or any other point of the year – the sooner you get tested, the sooner you will see the benefits.

According to our research, over three quarters (76%) of people with hearing problems noticed improvements from their side effects after getting tested. They noted the following as the top five:

Feeling more comfortable in social situations (52%)
Easier communication (52%)
Increased confidence (36%)
An improvement in wellbeing (39%)
Increased ability to focus (25%)

Parents were also more likely to notice the benefits of getting tested (82%) compared to those without children (59%).

Issues with your hearing can also increase your likelihood of experiencing other medical conditions, further highlighting the importance behind getting tested.

Hannah Samuels, audiologist at Boots Hearingcare, explains:

“Hearing loss is often associated with other health conditions, and are often referred to as comorbidities, which include depression, diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases, among others.

“In some instances, the longer you wait to get tested, the higher your chances of experiencing further problems becomes. Hearing tests are quick and painless and can be the difference between living with mild or severe side effects and so even if you notice small changes in your hearing, it’s important that you get checked as soon as possible.”

Advice for the future

As part of the research, we asked respondents with hearing loss to provide one piece of advice to people who think they might need to get tested, but haven’t yet booked it.

We analysed the sentiment of those responses, with almost a third of them (29%) being positive. Much of the advice featured similar phrases such as get it checked (50), as soon as possible (33) and it will change your life (7).

So, what are you waiting for? Join The Great Big Hearing Test and book a free hearing test this January.

Sources

1. A poll to 500 respondents with either mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss carried out by 3Gem in December 2024.