Why are women and children sometimes more challenging to hear than men? Perhaps you have observed that some men claim they are unable to hear their wives talking when they are detailing tasks to be done. That’s a joke, but it is rather common for people to struggle to hear the voices of women and children. Let’s figure out why, and what you can do about it.

Understanding high-frequency hearing loss

Women and children tend to have higher-pitched voices, which can affect their speech clarity for anybody with high-frequency hearing loss. It’s the most prevalent form of hearing impairment.
Someone might report that they can hear soft sounds, but can’t understand why hearing their children or grandchildren is challenging. The normal frequency range for women is between 165 and 255 Hz, while for men it is between 85 and 180 Hz.

High-frequency hearing loss can make it difficult to hear consonants in speech, such as t, th, ch, soft c, s, sh, f, and k, which cause speech to sound muddled.

Here are a number of other sounds that may be hard to detect or hear clearly.

• Birds chirping
• Alarms
• Whistling
• High-pitched musical instruments like a flute

What causes high-frequency hearing loss?

Age-related hearing loss may include this hearing issue. In addition, the tiny hair-like sensory cells in the inner ear can become damaged, and this makes it more difficult to hear high-pitched sounds.

If you have attended loud concerts and had substantial noise exposure from work or the environment, it can be a factor. Additional factors that contribute to risk include heredity, specific drugs such as aspirin, chemotherapy medications, and antibiotics. Cardiovascular disease is connected as well.

If kids have high-frequency hearing loss, it can hamper their speech and language skill development. For older people, it can include the risk of dementia, depression, and injury, causing falls.

Dealing with hearing loss in the higher frequencies

There is no cure for high-frequency hearing loss, but getting hearing aids helps boost high-pitched sounds, making them clearer and crisper. An audiologist can program your hearing aids to meet your specific needs.

An improved experience can be achieved in a business meeting, making phone calls, dining, or engaging in conversations with your grandchild. Most contemporary hearing devices can stream to your mobile phone and come outfitted with directional microphones for accurate sound customization. Your wife will be pleased as an added advantage.

Book an appointment if you think you have high-frequency hearing loss.