At risk of sounding like a total nag, my boyfriend is hopeless at listening to me. I know deep down he tries, but somewhere in the middle of listing the highlights of my workday (Pilates! Kombucha! A 10-minute lunchtime mini-meditation!) I can literally see his eyes glaze over.

 

Now before you go bleating, “You’re boring him!” (which, btw, is probably fair,) get this: a new study by specialists Scrivens Opticians has found that men don’t hear what their partner says around 388 times a year… That’s *grabs calculator* more than once a day!

Convenient? Totally, although it’s not always down to laziness. Of the 2,000 adults surveyed, 75 per cent of the respondents accused their S.O of having ‘selective hearing,’ although around 40 per cent ‘know with certainty’ that their partner struggles to hear. In addition, a third of the respondents said they had seen their partners attempting to lip read, while 47 per cent admitted that their partner mumbles – both of which are signs of hearing loss.

“Most of us will have experienced ‘selective hearing’ – either being the accused or the accuser. But joking aside, ‘selective hearing’ could be a sign of hearing loss,” Scrivens senior hearing aid audiologist Kirran Saimbi said of the findings.

If left ignored, this can lead to isolation, depression and – in some cases – dementia.

“The changes in our hearing are often so subtle and happen over time, that it can be very hard for us to notice the impact it’s having on our lives and those around us. That’s why regular hearing checks are so important,” Saimbi continued.

Worried that you or someone you know is hard of hearing? Take the free Scrivens online hearing test here.

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