Ruhr University. Germany: Almost everyone has a relative who is bound to lose the thread during
family get-togethers and who “tunes out” from the conversation: between
13 and 15 percent of people in Germany are hard of hearing. In a large
group, surrounded by many noise sources, with background noises such as
traffic or echoes, for example on the staircase or in a church, the
affected parties find it particularly difficult to follow the
conversation. Hearing aids can help, but only within a limited scope. By
amplifying sound so that the wearer can hear it, they amplify both
wanted and unwanted sound. The background noise and echoes mentioned
above present a problem.