Hearing experts issue warning about ‘cocktail party effect’

New research investigating the hearing health of UK adults has found that 3 in 5 struggle to hear conversations in noisy places; a phenomenon known as the “cocktail party effect”. The “cocktail party effect” refers to our ability to focus on speech of interest in the presence of background noise, for example in noisy social environments.

The research, conducted by hearing training experts ear Gym found that 3 in 5 people said they “sometimes” or “occasionally” struggle to hear the person they’re talking to because of background noise.

Almost 1 in 10 (8%) of adults surveyed said they “always” struggle to hear what someone is saying to them when there is background noise.

Hearing loss affects 12 million adults in the UK. One of the first signs of hearing loss is a difficulty hearing others clearly and they need people to repeat themselves. Some individuals with hearing loss will feel tired or stressed after socializing due to the cognitive effort required to keep up with conversations.

Amanda Philpott, hearing health expert and CEO at ear Gym said: “The cocktail party effect might sound like a bit of fun, but if you frequently struggle to hear conversations in pubs and noisy places, it might not just be the result of too many cocktails. When adults notice changes in their hearing, they often wait years before seeking help, when they could have protected and prolonged their hearing all along.

“If there’s one thing I’d like people to take away from this survey, it’s that we should all get our hearing checked as often as we get our teeth and eyes checked. Hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging. This is a common misconception. There’s a lot we can do to protect and prolong our hearing health, from regular checkups to hearing training and wearing ear protection.

“Our hearing has a pronounced impact on our social and cognitive well-being, so care is essential for a long, happy and healthy life. Let’s make hearing checkups as normal and routine as dental and eye checkups.”

Christian Hill, 49, a paramedic and hearing aid user from Northamptonshire, said: “I noticed my hearing was getting worse in my forties (although it was many years before I sought help). First, I started to find it more challenging to hear conversations and talk to people, and I would constantly have to ask people to repeat themselves or move closer so I could hear them better. On nights out, I felt unable to participate in conversations because I couldn’t hear what people were saying. Trying to focus on what a person was saying with all the background noise was sometimes impossible.

“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 the family doctor. I was diagnosed with hearing loss. and equipped with a hearing aid.

“Since my diagnosis, I have used my hearing aid and hearing training through the eargym app to improve my hearing. Both the hearing aid and hearing training have helped me become much more attuned to what I want to hear amidst the background noise and distractions. . I wish I had sought help sooner.”

What is the “cocktail party effect”?

Have you ever been in a social situation – such as a pub, bar or party – where you struggled to hear what your friends or family members were saying?

This is a phenomenon known as the ‘cocktail party effect’, which refers to our ability to focus on speech of interest in the presence of background noise, for example in noisy social environments.

The “cocktail party effect” can be an early sign of hearing loss. It can affect anyone, regardless of age. However, difficulty hearing others in noisy places does not always mean you are losing your hearing.

How to tell if your environment is too loud

The decibel scale is usually used to measure how loud noises are. Repeated and prolonged exposure to sounds above 70 dB can cause hearing damage.

You should be able to have a conversation with someone standing two meters away from you in a social situation without having to shout. If you can’t hear others above background noise two meters or less away, it’s likely that the noise levels you’re experiencing in your environment are too loud. Try to move to a quieter place so you can have a comfortable conversation while protecting your hearing.

How to Prevent the “Cocktail Party Effect”

Give your ears a break

Taking regular breaks when 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.

Practice 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. Taking regular breaks when listening to headphones is essential to reduce the risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and the cocktail effect.

Train your hearing

Contrary to popular belief, hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging. It is entirely possible to train your brain to become better at processing sounds.

You can train your hearing using apps. You can also try this quick exercise to practice understanding speech when there is background noise.

1. Put on your favorite TV show or podcast and play white noise alongside it from another device – Spotify or Youtube are great for finding white noise tracks

2. Turn up the volume on the white noise track until you can’t hear what’s being said on the TV show or podcast. Then turn the volume down to a level where you can watch. Note this volume.

3. 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 can no longer make out the words in the TV show each time.

4. Make sure you keep the volume at a safe level below 60% and set the TV or podcast volume to the same comfortable level every time. The lower the better, as you will need a lower volume of white noise.

Gradually, you should notice that you are able to understand what is being said on the TV show or podcast over the white noise at an increasingly high volume. At your next social event, you should be able to better understand the conversation over the background noise.

Have your hearing checked regularly

Regular hearing health checks are really important at all ages. A trip to your local audiologist or a quick hearing check using an app like ear Gym it will help you identify any changes in your hearing so you can seek help if you need it.

Remember: hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Regular hearing screening and training can significantly improve how long your hearing health lasts before your hearing begins to deteriorate.