Why do people put up with poor hearing?

Sometimes the most powerful reminders about hearing health appear in the most ordinary places. Recently, while waiting at my local pharmacy, I found myself behind three people — two women and a gentleman — each struggling to hear the young staff member behind the counter. She was speaking clearly; I could hear her from the back of the line. The issue wasn’t the environment. It was their hearing.

While we waited for our scripts, I struck up a conversation in my best “audiometrist voice” and asked whether they often had difficulty hearing. What followed was a perfect snapshot of the barriers that keep so many Australians from seeking help.

The first lady admitted she’d simply forgotten to put her hearing aids in before leaving home. The second said she’d noticed problems for years but avoided testing because her mother had terrible experiences with hearing aids back in the 1960s. The gentleman confidently declared hearing aids were “too bloody expensive” — despite never having had a hearing test. All three were pensioners. All three are eligible for fully government‑funded hearing services.

In less than five minutes, a casual chat turned into three people taking their first steps toward better hearing.

It is worrying how many people continue to struggle for no good reason. Hearing loss affects Australians of all ages, yet stigma, outdated stories, and misinformation still hold people back. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation — and the right nudge — to change someone’s life.