I can hear people when it's quiet but not when it's noisy. Why?

Hearing people in noise is harder than hearing people in the quiet because background noise covers up some softer speech sounds like ‘Sh, S, Th, F, Ch, P and K’, which are in many keywords. Our brain has to fill in the gaps. For people with hearing loss, hearing in noise can be impossible, as the brain can’t always fill in the gaps. They can get stressed or exhausted in that environment and not want to go to those places. Hearing aids can help in these situations. Talk to your hearing specialist about how they can help you.

If this sounds familiar, you might also recognise ‘why people seem to be mumbling’, both can be signs of the same underlying hearing loss. The good news is there’s a lot hearing aids can help with in noisy environments, and you can browse our Hearing Health hub for more on keeping your hearing in top shape.