It’s well-known that hearing loss affects millions of Americans.

What’s less well-known is that it affects men at a much higher rate than women.

About twice as much, from the ages of 20-69 says epidemiologist Howard Hoffman with the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  Between the ages of 70 and 80, men still have higher rates of hearing loss, and after the age of 80, hearing loss is equally prevalent in both genders.

The conclusion is clear: working-aged men have worse hearing than their female counterparts, independent of aging and chronic conditions like hypertension. One possible explanation is that men are more than twice as likely to have prolonged loud noise exposure – think jobs like construction – than their female counterparts.

Despite this, among younger people with hearing loss, women are more likely than men to wear hearing aids – perhaps there isn’t the same desire to be “macho” or have to prove themselves with sensory prowess. After the age of 70, however, men are about 50% more likely than their female peers to use hearing aids.

Any person suffering from hearing loss, at any age, should strongly consider an appropriate hearing aid. With advancements in technology making them comfortable and nearly invisible, there’s no reason not to.

1. The Hammer aka the Malleus- this is where the vibrations are first passed through the middle ear. It articulates with the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the incus–the next of the ossicles (remember, they are all connected together). This is their first step of the hearing process.

2. The Anvil aka the Incus- the vibrations caused by the hammer cause the anvil to be pushed against and in turn it pushes the next of the ossicles. This is the second part of the hearing process for the ossicles.

3. The Stirrup aka the Stapes- This is the last of the hearing process. The final of the three bones to receive the push of the vibrations. The stirrup is connected directly to the oval window–the gateway to the nerves for hearing. It is where the transmission of the vibration is sent to the cochlea and then to the nerves where it will be interpreted not just as vibrations but as sounds.

Basically put, these three tiny bones are the monitors to how we hear. If they become damaged, they can be fixed through a stapedectomy (we will discuss this soon). If it were not for how these bones are formed–the possibility the ability to hear would not exist and the evolution of the hearing process would have been very different. The ossicles may be tiny, but are important nonetheless–any small problem can cause severe hearing loss. If your hearing loss specialist sees that there is a problem with the auditory ossicles, then they will recommend an ENT to help combat the hearing loss with the stapedectomy.