The natural humiliation of our hearing can be increased or lessened depending on our actions as adults. Being around excessive noise, working in loud conditions, and even bad habits like smoking can affect your hearing later in life. Therefore, it is vital that you are proactive to protect your ears as it is one of the only things you can do to effectively prevent hearing loss.
However, many people neglect using the correct hearing protection when they are around loud sounds. This excessive noise can wear down your hearing over time, which can lead to hearing loss. While this is not uncommon, many men find themselves in loud situations more often than women. This divide occurs both in the workplace and during social gatherings.
Different career paths
While many women have successfully entered male-dominated work fields, there are still some professions that are primarily for males. Construction is one example. Surrounded by heavy machinery, power tools, and hammers, those working in construction are frequently confronted with loud, excessive noise. If they are working every day for many years, this can contribute heavily to hearing loss later in life.
Far more men than women serve in the military, where gunfire and shouting are quite usual sounds. A man working in the trucking industry might also encounter heavy noise, along with mechanics, manufacturing, and other forms of labour. While women in these fields experience the same level of hearing deprivation, there is a higher number of men working these jobs across the world. Unsurprisingly, these men often experience higher rates of hearing loss, and usually when they are younger.
Loud hobbies
The difference in hobbies is another contributing factor to the gender divide when it comes to hearing loss. A woman might pick up a paintbrush or knitting needles when deciding upon a new hobby. Where men on the other hand, often feel compelled to pursue more masculine past times, such as working in a workshop with loud machines, riding motorcycles, or shooting firearms at a gun range. Unlike art or craft, these hobbies expose men to large amounts of excessive noise.
However, many men choose to skip wearing earmuffs or plugs. While these things might seem embarrassing or unnecessary, they can protect your sense of hearing in the long-term.
How to prevent hearing loss in men
To avoid hearing loss, we recommend that you visit our practice so that we can assist with the correct hearing protection that is best suited for you and custom make something best suited for you.
If you have concerns about your aural health or want to encourage a relative to improve their hearing, getting a hearing test is the first step. If there is damage to your ears, we can do an audiogram to determine how mild or severe the problem is.
About Strauss Audiology
Strauss Audiology is a professional audiology business in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, offering expert, effective hearing advice that is tailored to clients’ unique hearing needs. We conduct hearing evaluations, hearing tests and vertigo assessments, and provide a range of solutions to improve and protect clients’ hearing. This includes providing hearing aids to Cape Town clients. With 16 years of experience, and with the qualifications and certifications to deliver leading hearing care, you can trust us to take care of your hearing needs.
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