For a lot of Australian men, the instinct when something’s not quite right is to push through it. New research from Hearing Australia suggests hearing loss is no exception – and that a widespread “tough it out” mindset could be putting men’s long-term hearing health at risk.
The nationally representative survey of over 1,000 Australian adults found a clear gap between what men believe about hearing health and what they actually do about it. Two-thirds of men (67%) think hearing should be checked at least every three years, yet only half (50%) say they actually get regular checks. It’s a classic case of knowing better and doing something else entirely.
The stigma that keeps men quiet
Part of the problem, it seems, isn’t just procrastination – it’s discomfort. A quarter of men (25%) say hearing loss isn’t a topic people feel comfortable discussing, and one in five (21%) would keep it private if they were experiencing it themselves.
“Men can be very good at soldiering on, but stigma and discomfort around talking about hearing health may mean some are delaying getting the help they need,” says Marc Vandenberg, Senior Audiologist at Hearing Australia. “Getting a hearing check is an important first step in taking control of your hearing health and getting the right support if needed.”
Compounding the silence is a fairly fatalistic view of hearing loss itself: 39% of men believe it’s simply “something you have to live with” as they get older – an assumption that can make seeking help feel unnecessary, or even pointless.
Even clear warning signs don’t always prompt action
Perhaps most telling is how men respond to hearing difficulties they’re already experiencing. Only 41% say they’d get a hearing check if they were struggling to hear in noisy places like cafes or restaurants. That figure drops even further, to 29%, for men having trouble hearing during work meetings – a situation with real professional consequences.
Marc says the fallout from ignoring these signs tends to creep up quietly. “When communication becomes increasingly difficult, people often start to withdraw from everyday moments, like family barbecues or catching up with friends,” he explains. “The good news is that getting support early can make a real difference in helping to stay connected to the people and moments that matter.”
The research backs this up: 74% of men agree hearing loss can negatively affect relationships, and 71% say they’d miss out on conversations with family and friends if they couldn’t hear properly. Men clearly understand what’s at stake – the disconnect is in acting on it before it becomes a problem.
One conversation that changed everything
For Hearing Australia client Chris Pappas, the decline crept in slowly, and for a long time, invisibly. “Looking back, my hearing had probably been declining for about a decade, likely starting from my time in the military and listening to loud music when I was younger,” Chris says.
It wasn’t obvious in everyday quiet moments. It was everywhere else. “In quiet settings it was perfectly fine, but the moment I was in a busy conference space for work or at a noisy family gathering, I couldn’t hear the conversations. I found myself constantly lip-reading and missing parts of what people said. My wife and son were constantly having to repeat themselves or stand right next to me just to chat.”
Eventually, it was that ripple effect on his family that pushed him to act. “I went to Hearing Australia, and the test was so easy and straightforward. Finding out I had hearing loss was a turning point – and the support I received has made such a difference to my everyday life. But the best part is the difference it made for my family and friends. Taking that first step was life-changing for me.”
Family and friends can be the nudge that works
If stigma is part of what’s holding men back, encouragement might be part of what moves them forward. Nearly four in ten men (39%) say support from family or friends would motivate them to get a hearing check – a reminder that a simple, caring nudge from someone close can carry real weight.
As Marc puts it, hearing checks aren’t about waiting for a crisis. They’re a straightforward way to stay ahead of a problem that, left unaddressed, tends to quietly erode the everyday moments that matter most – the barbecues, the family dinners, the easy back-and-forth of a conversation with someone you love.
