But Claire Benton, vice-president of the British Academy of Audiology, suggests that blocking everyday sounds such as cars can make your brain “forget” to rule out noise.
“You’ve created this false environment almost by wearing headphones that only listen to what you want to hear. You don’t have to work with it,” she said.
“The more complex and high-level listening skills in your brain will really finish growing towards your late teens. So, if you’re only wearing noise-cancelling headphones, then for your late teens If you were in this false world, you’re slowing you down a little bit,” suggests Benton.
For those experiencing healthy processing challenges in the UK, the NHS APD care is limited.
A 2024 UK-wide survey distributed by BAA and ENT UK, a specialist representing ear, nose and throat surgery, only 4% of hearing specialists believe they are well informed about APD. I discovered it.
And for those over 16, Royal National Enting and Eastman Hospital is the only NHS provider in the UK to offer a full APD rating, with a waiting list length of nine months.
Professor Doris Eva Vermiow, who evaluates there, says this has been partially lowered to the time it takes to diagnose APD. “It’s not just an audiogram, it’s a costly service because the test can take up to two hours and requires additional assessments. In adults, we also introduce cognitive assessments, and in children, we need to talk about education and conversations. There may be a psychologist.”
Particularly after the pandemic, the involvement of behavior, visuals and audio has changed. This is partly due to new products and technologies, as well as increased anxiety in the loud environment after the lockdown.
