Uploaded January 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
New research by hearing specialists, Hidden Hearing, highlights that a third of Brits admit to switching off from a conversation within the first 30 seconds, simply because they can't hear.
"Switching off may not always indicate a boring conversation, but may signal significant hearing loss," says Dr. Hilary Jones. "Hearing loss affects 10 million people in the UK but worryingly, 4 million of these cases are undiagnosed ."
Missing out on life
The impact of hearing loss on a person's daily quality of life can be significant and in some cases lead to feelings of social exclusion. 41% of those surveyed felt they were 'missing out on life' and a fifth reported that their social lives were negatively affected. One in 10 went on to say they would 'avoid social situations all together'.
Mike, 38, suffered hearing loss in a bomb blast whilst he was serving with the British Army in Northern Ireland-
"Simple things like chatting to friends and family became very frustrating because I was having to say pardon two or three times in a single conversation. At times I'd only hear half of what someone was saying but I was too embarrassed to ask them to say it again, so I'd end up responding with something silly because I hadn't heard the whole conversation. It felt quite isolating at times and I found myself dreading social occasions. Since getting my hearing aids my life and my confidence have changed dramatically. I now run a successful personal training business and it's all down to my hearing aids giving me the confidence to switch life on again."
Backed by Dr Hilary Jones, Hidden Hearing is launching a new campaign - 'Switch Life Back on Again' - with the aim of raising the profile of hearing loss and helping those who think they may have a problem, to do something about it now.
"Left undiagnosed, hearing loss can have a huge impact on a person's relationships and their ability to join in with life. We want to cut the time it takes for people to seek help and encourage them to switch life back on again with a simple free hearing test." -- Dr. Hilary Jones.
For more information on hearing loss and to book a free hearing test, visit
New research by hearing specialists, Hidden Hearing, highlights that a third of Brits admit to switching off from a conversation within the first 30 seconds, simply because they can't hear.
"Switching off may not always indicate a boring conversation, but may signal significant hearing loss," says Dr. Hilary Jones. "Hearing loss affects 10 million people in the UK but worryingly, 4 million of these cases are undiagnosed ."
Missing out on life
The impact of hearing loss on a person's daily quality of life can be significant and in some cases lead to feelings of social exclusion. 41% of those surveyed felt they were 'missing out on life' and a fifth reported that their social lives were negatively affected. One in 10 went on to say they would 'avoid social situations all together'.
Mike, 38, suffered hearing loss in a bomb blast whilst he was serving with the British Army in Northern Ireland-
"Simple things like chatting to friends and family became very frustrating because I was having to say pardon two or three times in a single conversation. At times I'd only hear half of what someone was saying but I was too embarrassed to ask them to say it again, so I'd end up responding with something silly because I hadn't heard the whole conversation. It felt quite isolating at times and I found myself dreading social occasions. Since getting my hearing aids my life and my confidence have changed dramatically. I now run a successful personal training business and it's all down to my hearing aids giving me the confidence to switch life on again."
Backed by Dr Hilary Jones, Hidden Hearing is launching a new campaign - 'Switch Life Back on Again' - with the aim of raising the profile of hearing loss and helping those who think they may have a problem, to do something about it now.
"Left undiagnosed, hearing loss can have a huge impact on a person's relationships and their ability to join in with life. We want to cut the time it takes for people to seek help and encourage them to switch life back on again with a simple free hearing test." -- Dr. Hilary Jones.
For more information on hearing loss and to book a free hearing test, visit
