Do you find yourself saying “what?” or having your partner ask you that more frequently these days? Our hearing is one of the first things to go as we get older and it turns out, our relationships can be taking a hit as a result.
According to a study of 2-thousand adults over age 55 and in relationships, a lot of couples struggle with at least one of them not being able to hear the other regularly. It finds the phrase “what?” is actually said more than “I love you” for couples who are middle-aged or older.
- But being asked to repeat yourself or mishearing your partner can be frustrating and 46% admit they’ve argued with their partner over not hearing each other properly.
- A third of couples bicker with their partner over mishearing several times a week, which can leave them feeling frustrated (42%), ignored (33%), disconnected (19%), neglected and even unloved (11%).
- Almost half of respondents confess they have to speak louder so their partner can hear them.
- Just over a quarter (28%) of couples ask each other to repeat things an average of four times a week, but 20% do it seven times or more.
- Some have had to confront their partner when they thought they weren’t listening during an important discussion.
- Those dealing with this issue say patience, understanding and avoiding cutting each other off is the key to keeping the peace, along with getting a hearing test.
Source: Talking Points