Hearing Well Should Feel Natural — Not Exhausting. World Hearing Day or 3 March 2026

Hearing Well Should Feel Natural - Not Exhausting

This World Hearing Day 3 March, South Africa’s largest Audiology retail network is challenging the idea that hearing is just about ‘turning up the volume’. 

Hearing is about clarity and how efficiently our brains process sound. When hearing starts to change, people often do not notice it as a loss of sound, but as increased effort. To mark World Hearing Day this year on 3 March, Spec-Savers Audiology is challenging the notion that hearing is just about ‘turning up the volume’.

Olivia Blackbeard, Head of Spec-Savers Audiology, says that if you are having to work harder to follow conversations, feel drained after meetings, or begin avoiding noisy environments because they feel fatiguing, this could be caused by your brain overcompensating. “Hearing well should feel natural, not exhausting, which is why checking your hearing is about protecting your energy, focus and overall performance, not only your ears,” she says.

Unlike a routine eye test, which many people are more likely to attend because declining vision is more noticeable, hearing loss often goes undetected because it is invisible. “If your vision blurs, you notice it immediately. But with hearing, the brain adapts, you fill in gaps, you lip-read without realising and you blame background noise. It may feel manageable, until it starts impacting everyday life,” Blackbeard says.

A simple hearing test checks clarity, speech, understanding and how well a person’s brain is processing sound. The impact of knowing your hearing status can be significant.

Hearing loss affects approximately one in three adults between the ages of 65 and 74, and more than 80% of those aged 85 years or older.  Hearing loss is also no longer a challenge only faced by older adults. In fact, an estimated 17% of teenagers and 19% of people in their 20s will already be experiencing signs of hearing loss, much of which can be attributed to prolonged exposure to loud sounds - a risk that can be prevented by adopting safe listening habits and practicing good hearing care.

“An annual hearing test is important because hearing changes are usually gradual. A yearly check gives you a baseline and helps pick up small shifts early before they start affecting your energy, communication or confidence. The earlier we identify changes, the easier they are to manage,” Blackbeard explains.

She notes that, as an audiologist, she often observes families detecting hearing changes before the individual notices them, and that’s not only in older adults. Sometimes younger people do not realise that their hearing is becoming impaired either. They may just think others are mumbling, blame background noise, or feel unusually tired after social events.  “Denial isn’t stubbornness; it’s human nature and it’s hard to admit that hearing isn’t what it used to be,” she says.

Another challenge is that many people initially resist the idea of hearing aids, believing they are bulky, outdated and only for older adults. However, modern hearing aids are now discreet, almost invisible, and come equipped with advanced, high-tech features. These innovations in hearing care can make an enormous difference in a person’s quality of life.

Her advice for family members is to start by sharing observations in a caring way, focus on how hearing impacts everyday life rather than pointing out a ‘problem,’ and encourage a simple, routine hearing check, which is quick and painless.

This is why Spec-Savers Audiology is encouraging people to treat hearing checks as part of their regular health routine, and not something you wait on until it becomes a problem.

With 71 stores each with a professional and qualified audiologist, Spec-Savers Audiology is now officially the largest Audiology retail network in South Africa. As part of their mission to  encourage early diagnosis and create greater accessibility for all South Africans, they will be offering free hearing screenings throughout the first week of March.

For more information, or to find a Spec-Savers store which offers audiology services near you, go to https://www.specsavers.co.za/hearing/audiology.

References:

1.   https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/presbycusis#

2. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2012/0615/p1150.html#

3.  https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/hearing-loss-in-young-people.html

4.  https://worldhearingday.org/