Socialising and Hearing Aids - Do They Really Help?

Published: September 25, 2016
Last reviewed by: Leightons Clinical Team
Last reviewed: January 16, 2026

With autumn here, it’s “back to school” for many of your local clubs and societies that may have taken a short break over the summer months. It’s likely that you will be socialising more, whether it’s attending local meetings, picking up your favourite hobbies and sports again or simply enjoying dinners or parties with friends and family.

However, if you suffer from hearing loss, some of these activities can be difficult. Struggling to hear what people are saying around you can be disorienting and tiring, taking the enjoyment out of many activities. A busy environment with lots of background noise, such as a room at a party, can be particularly problematic. Fortunately, with the right set of hearing aids you can sail through any situation.

Social butterfly

More than 11 million people in the UK are living with hearing loss – that’s 1 in 6 of us. Action on Hearing Loss further estimates that this figure will go up to 15.6 million by 2035. Research has shown that hearing loss affects your quality of life, leading to feelings of isolation, social withdrawal and at times depression.

People tend to stay away from social situations, especially those where the background noise levels prevent them from hearing well. This includes attending parties, going to the pub, and even speaking on the phone.

The use of hearing aids can really help to improve the overall quality of life, contributing to more active lives and better health. Hearing aid wearers are less likely to suffer depression, and even less likely to get dementia, compared to people who have a hearing loss but do not use hearing aids.

Types of hearing aids

Today’s digital hearing aids are not only more powerful than the analogue hearing aids of the past, but are also more discreet. Furthermore, aids such as the Oticon Opn™ are packed with clever technology to make it easy for you to listen to exactly what you want to hear, even in noisy environments. There are several types of hearing aids in the market, and your audiologist will be able to help you choose the one best-suited to you, your hearing loss and your lifestyle. Fitting styles include:

  • Completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids are very tiny (almost invisible) and sit deep inside the ear canal. These are most helpful to people with mild hearing loss.
  • The receiver-in-the-ear (RTE) hearing aids provide natural sound clarity and are helpful to people with mild to moderate hearing loss. These are quite discreet and therefore usually a popular choice.
  • Behind The Ear (BTE) hearing aids fit snugly behind your ear. They are more powerful than most other hearing aids and give better sound clarity. These hearing aids are useful for those suffering from moderate to severe hearing loss.

Even if you only have a mild hearing loss, hearing aids can be incredibly helpful in navigating daily life and social situations, letting you make the most of your activities and keep living life to the full.

Pay us a visit

Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care store offer a free hearing assessment, which includes a free hearing aid demonstration to help show the difference that a hearing aid can make to those with a hearing loss. We also offer a wide range of digital hearing aids from some of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Oticon, Phonak, ReSound and more.

For more information or to book a free hearing test, call us on 0800 40 20 20 or visit your local branch. Alternatively, you can book an appointment online.

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Group of adults socializing and enjoying drinks together at an outdoor evening gathering with string lights and food on the table.
How do hearing amplifiers work?
Hearing amplification devices increase the volume and might make it easier for you to hear sounds louder. Yet they not a prescribed product and do not match your individual needs. Hearing loss is extremely common – millions of people in the UK live with a hearing loss, so you’re not alone. At Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care, our expert audiologists will help you identify the best device for you, in most cases this is a Hearing Aid. What is a hearing amplifier? Much like a tiny PA system, hearing amplification devices use microphones to capture and amplify all sounds around you, before delivering it to your ear at an adequate and audible volume level. What kind of devices are available? There are plenty of hearing amplifiers designed to help you while on the telephone, watching TV, and for in-person conversations. However, these devices amplify all sounds equally and aren’t designed to support hearing loss. For an all‑round solution that adapts to your personal hearing needs, a hearing aid is often the most effective option. Our expert audiologists can assess your hearing and guide you towards the most suitable hearing aid for your lifestyle and needs. What’s the difference between a hearing aid and a hearing amplifier? All hearing aids use amplification, however, hearing aids are regulated medical devices carefully programmed and tailored to fit the hearing loss of a particular individual. This makes them more suitable for moderate to severe hearing loss. Hearing amplifiers are not medical devices and are not designed to diagnose, treat or manage hearing loss. They don’t adapt to your individual needs, meaning they offer volume without improving clarity or understanding. What are induction loops? An induction loop is an older technology system designed to help hearing aid users to hear more clearly in some specific environments. You’ll often find them in places like meeting rooms, theatres, banks, and cinemas.  Here’s how it works:  A thin cable is installed around a room or designated listening area  The system creates a magnetic field that carries speech or important sound  When you switch your hearing aid or ALDs to the T (telecoil) setting, you can hear the sound closer to you and more clear with less background noise  Induction loops can make a huge difference to day‑to‑day listening comfort. Our audiologists can help you understand how loops - and other assistive listening devices - can work with Hearing Aids.  What is Auracast? Auracast is a new Bluetooth audio technology designed to make listening more inclusive. It allows one device to broadcast high-quality sound to multiple compatible hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones at the same time, without the need for pairing. Developed with the hearing aid industry for assistive listening, Auracast could mean easier access to shared audio in public spaces such as train stations and lecture theatres. For people with hearing loss, it’s a positive step towards clearer sound and greater confidence in everyday situations. Leightons free hearing test Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care offers a free hearing test in all branches. We provide a comprehensive hearing check carried out by our experts – professionally trained hearing aid audiologists registered with the HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council), with some even members of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists. Book your free hearing test now You can book an appointment online or you can call us on 0800 40 20 20 to arrange a free hearing test at your nearest Leightons branch. Alternatively, you can take the test at home. This involves the same experienced, professional audiologist you would see in branch coming to your home to carry out your hearing test with specialist portable equipment.
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