What's the most annoying sound to you?
How much do different sounds affect our mood? Well new research reveals the effects that they can have and those that are most pleasurable to our ears.
‘Waves crashing on a beach’ is the most popular and most loved sound by women, with nearly two thirds voting this as their number one sound.
This was closely followed by ‘birds singing’, ‘walking in the snow’ and ‘raindrops falling on a window’.
The study also found women were twice as likely as men to favour the sweet sound of children laughing.
The most positive effect sounds can have is bringing back good memories, and over a third feel that their favourite sounds make them feel relaxed, happier and uplifted.
However, not all sounds bring pleasure and leave us feeling relaxed, with ‘teeth grinding’ topping the list of our most hated sounds.
‘Knuckle cracking’, ‘door slamming’, ‘partner snoring’ and ‘dentist cleaning plaque’ were also voted by women as their most disliked sounds.
There are more than 10 million people in the UK with some form of hearing loss, however 4 million of these are diagnosed.
“Being able to hear our favourite sounds is something that we can take for granted,” says breakfast TV Doctor, Dr. Hilary Jones. “Our hearing is one of the most important human senses – it enables communication and is fundamental to our pleasure system. There are three tell-tale signs that could mean you have a hearing problem:
- Asking people to repeat themselves 3 or more times in a day
- If you’re struggling to hear people in social situations e.g. at parties or in restaurants
- Friends or family have noticed you’ve started to turn up the volume on the TV or radio
If you find yourself doing any of these, it’s time to talk to your high street hearing specialist or your GP.”
The research also reveals the impact of hearing loss on a person’s quality of life. A third of those surveyed stated ‘they’d lose some enjoyment in their life’ and would ‘feel upset’ if they could no longer hear their favourite sounds.
Hearing Awareness
This September 2013 marks Hearing Awareness Month (HAM) which is being backed by Dr Hilary Jones. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of hearing loss and encourage anyone unsure of their hearing ability to seek help from their local high street hearing specialist or their GP. A mobile hearing clinic will be going around the UK throughout the month to test the nation, with the aim of reaching 20,000 tests in one month. Special ‘free testing’ events will take place in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. In addition, tests will be freely available to anyone from Hidden Hearing’s 84 high street centres. For more details and to book a free hearing test, visit www.hearingawarenessmonth.co.uk, or call 0800 037 2060.
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