Boots Hearingcare has opened a new Guildford store to encourage people to get their hearing tested.

It says that almost a fifth of people admit they may have hearing loss but do not wear a hearing aid.

The World of Hearing store is only the fourth of its kind in the UK, offering a high-tech immersion room and self-screening centre designed to revolutionise the way people think about hearing care.

Customers can test a range of hearing aids in a variety of settings, such as a busy restaurant or concert. This helps to get a feel for what it would be like to have a hearing aid fitted in real life. 

According to Boots Hearingcare research, the main excuse people use for not being able to hear is noisy environments (53%), followed by people mumbling (47%).

More than a quarter (27%) of those surveyed said they have noticed loved ones becoming more isolated because of their hearing loss, and the survey also showed that people conceal their hearing loss by having the TV louder (47%), lip reading (37%) and by becoming less talkative (35%)

Echo Lu, managing director of Boots Hearingcare, said: “On average, it takes 10 years for someone to address they have a hearing problem. We hope this new innovative format can help remove the stigma associated with hearing loss and encourage more people to experience better hearing and better quality of life.”

The store, on Swan Lane, opposite the existing Boots store, allows customers to trial hearing aids before purchasing.