Do Men and Women Hear Differently?

Everyone’s hearing loss is unique and will affect their everyday lives in different ways. Over time, both men’s and women’s hearing declines, but the scientific literature suggests that women generally preserve better hearing acuity than men. In addition, this hearing loss tends to be relatively more pronounced at higher frequencies (higher-pitched sounds) for men, versus lower frequencies for women.

Traditionally, we have attributed men’s higher-frequency loss to noise exposure, which may be more common in their professional and personal lives. As for women, some researchers have linked their tendency towards lower-frequency hearing loss to the higher prevalence of vascular disorders in women. That said, many researchers believe that these hypotheses don’t completely explain either type of hearing loss.

Jerger, a researcher, explained that these differences between men and women may have other implications. In fact, he suggests that higher-frequency hearing loss may be more ‘visible’, since it makes identifying constants more challenging. This may lead to more frequent misunderstandings or asking others to repeat what they said, which can make the hearing loss more apparent to the person and those around them. Hearing loss that affects other frequencies more evenly, however, may be more difficult to notice. For that reason, he suggests that it may take longer for women to recognize their hearing loss, which in turn means they take longer to consult a professional about it.

According to several studies, two hearing assessment tools—auditory evoked potential and oto-acoustic emissions tests—show differences between men and women. These tools are objective tests, meaning that the variations suggest an innate physiological difference in the male and female auditory systems. Neuroanatomic studies have also found that speech perception tends to be treated bilaterally in female brains and unilaterally in male brains. In other words, speech generally activates neurons in both hemispheres for women, but predominantly in one hemisphere for men. Finally, some studies suggest that women make greater use of visual cues in understanding speech, especially as they age. These studies all suggest that the auditory system and speech perception are different in men and women.

Nevertheless, every individual’s hearing is unique, as are the challenges they face. If you have concerns about your hearing, don’t hesitate to consult an audiologist!