Crystal rolfe
Director of health, rnid
Find out whether there are certain sounds and frequencies you could be missing, which may be a sign of hearing loss.
Hearing loss can happen at any time in life. There are many causes for it, from exposure to loud noises, injury or ageing. One in three adults in the UK is deaf or has hearing loss.1 Yet, for most people, it happens gradually, so it’s easy to miss the early warning signs.
Common everyday sounds missed
RNID’s recent research revealed some of the most common everyday sounds that people cannot hear very clearly. This includes almost half of people (46%) saying they could not hear someone calling their name from another room. Four in 10 people said they could not hear a cyclist ringing their bell. Over one third (38%) said they could not hear birds singing.
Not being able to hear these everyday sounds indicates that your ears need checking. Other tell-tale signs include people regularly saying you’ve got the TV turned up too loud, or that you miss things people say to you.
Why hearing matters
Hearing plays a critical role in our overall wellbeing. Without the correct support or checks, hearing loss can lead to challenges, such as an increased risk of depression, social isolation and falls. Recent research2 has also shown a connection between hearing loss and aspects of brain health like dementia, though the link is not yet fully understood.
We do know that treating hearing loss significantly improves social connection, communication and quality of life, all of which support healthy ageing and brain health. The sooner you recognise the signs of hearing loss (such as the sounds you might be missing) and take action, the better.
Check your hearing
RNID’s free online hearing check at rnid.org.uk/check is a great place to start and has already been taken by over 750,000 people. It takes just three minutes, and you get the results straight away, along with information about what to do next. Just as we routinely check our eyesight and dental health, it’s important to check our hearing too.
Check your hearing for free: rnid.org.uk/check
[1] RNID. 2026. Prevalence of deafness and hearing loss. https://tinyurl.com/649x9avw.
[2] RNID. 2026. Hearing loss and dementia. https://tinyurl.com/mrzc9uzf.
