Listen up guys, its time to fine tune your hearing.
Guys do not wait until it’s too late to tune in to your hearing health. It takes more courage to take ownership of your hearing health than ignoring symptoms and burying your head in the sand. With Men’s Health Week (12-18 June) coming up, there is no better time to take action and have a hearing test.
As part of the week, Brimbank Council is holding a Men’s Health Day on 14 June to encourage men to value the importance of being proactive about their health and well-being. We’ll be there to help you with hearing health, so come and see us.
Throughout their lifetime, men are more likely to experience hearing loss than women, largely due to occupational and recreational behaviours of men. For instance, men are more likely to be exposed to excessive noise in the work place; using heavy machinery in the construction, building and manufacturing industries, in factories, farming and at home using power tools.
Check your hearing ability
Men can feel awkward about having their hearing checked due to the stigma associated with hearing loss and as a result of societal pressure to be strong and persevere, none of which is helpful to you. Take control and protect the hearing you have now.
We have a free online hearing test you can take as a first step to looking after your hearing health. The free online test takes less than five minutes and can be done in the comfort of your home. This test aims to help you identify possible hearing loss and encourages you to take the next step to do something about it. A visit to a clinic to complete a test with the correct equipment and environment is still necessary to confirm presence of hearing loss.
We also have a free hearing test you can take at your Amplifon clinic. You will be taken to a quiet and private screening room where you’ll be played a series of sounds through a set of headphones. The test runs for 20 minutes and all you have to do is press a button each time you hear a sound.
Based on the outcome of your test, it will be determined if you have a hearing loss or not. If you do, you’ll be recommended to return for a comprehensive hearing test with an Audiologist. It is as simple as that and its painless.
You are not alone
Hearing loss is extremely common in Australia with one in six experiencing some form of hearing loss. Around 37% of hearing impairment is caused by exposure to excessive noise. When hearing loss goes untreated, ones hearing can deteriorate and affect different aspects of everyday life.
Understanding the signs of hearing loss is key to managing your hearing health. On noticing any change, simply have a test to determine your hearing ability. Early detection is key to protecting your hearing.
How to protect your hearing
It is important to be aware of the noise levels you are exposed to day to day. Take the good old electric drill for example which reaches 94dB, this means the safe length of time you can use the drill is 1 hour without protection.
Please read previous posts we’ve written about noise levels at work and the best hearing protection options to purchase.
Early intervention is the best way to combat hearing loss. So shift into man up gear this Men’s Health Week and come and see us at Brimbank Council’s Men’s Health Day and we’ll help you on your journey to better hearing, or visit us online.
