The raucous hustle and bustle of the festive season is leaving many adults in Wales struggling to hear conversations according to new research by Specsavers.
It found that 69 per cent of adults attend at least one Christmas party or gathering per year, and 18 per cent experience ringing ears afterwards.
And the noise can also be a problem at the festive dinner table with 54 per cent of Welsh respondents admitting that their family can often be found shouting over each other.
This has led to 25 per cent of respondents mishearing the punchline of a Christmas cracker joke, with 36 per cent of adults struggling to hear conversations due to the volume of music and children being noisy around them (30 per cent). Specsavers’ chief audiologist Gordon Harrison said: “It is important to be supportive and patient with anyone who might be finding it tough to catch every word.
“It’s not always obvious when someone is struggling with hearing loss at Christmas. They may be nodding and smiling along, but perhaps a bit later than others as they pick up physical cues from others in the conversation.”