Do Men Have More Hearing Problems Than Women?

Women have some advantages over men from a health standpoint. In fact, females live, on average, five years longer than men – but how do the two sexes stack up in terms of hearing? A study carried out by Johns Hopkins showed men are more than five times more likely to develop hearing loss relative to women.

Why are men more prone towards hearing problems? It’s not so much the genetics, but rather lifestyle and occupation that are the main contributors. Men are more likely to work in professions such as manufacturing, construction, carpentry and police work where they’re exposed to high levels of noise. Furthermore, more men than women engage in hobbies like hunting and woodworking where they’re exposed to ear-damaging levels of noise.

Men and women often differ in the way their hearing loss shows up. Women typically lose the ability to hear low-frequency sounds before high-frequency ones, while it’s the opposite for men. High-frequency hearing loss is among the most debilitating because it reduces speech recognition the most. Men may complain of difficulty hearing women’s voices while retaining the ability to hear a men’s deeper voices until the hearing loss progresses.

What can men (and women) do to lower their risk of hearing loss? A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests reducing noise exposure, quitting smoking, and treating health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure that increase the risk for hearing problems. Doing these things may delay the hearing loss in men and women. As far as reducing noise exposure, men should be aware of the impact using noisy power tools at home or at work, or even mowing the lawn, can have on their hearing.

Take hearing protection seriously. Once your hearing is damaged, it can’t be reversed. Be proactive and get your hearing checked by an experienced professional.

References:

• JAMA Internal Medicine. Vol. 168. No 14. July 28, 2008.
• U.S. Pharmacist 30(12): 10-15. (2008)