Age and Sex Differences in Pure-Tone Thresholds

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Abstract
The normal thresholds of hearing for pure tones were determined for an age-stratified sample of subjects drawn from a population exposed to minimal levels of industrial noise. Audiometric measurements from 250 to 8000 cps were made on a total of 500 subjects divided into 4 age groups: 18-24, 26-32, 34-40, and 43-49 years, inclusive. The results of this study indicate that, in general, only minor differences (less than 5 db) exist between the average thresholds of right and left ears, but that women have more sensitive hearing than men and show less intersubject variability. This sex difference is independent of age and is more marked at higher frequencies. For both men and women, there is a decrease in hearing sensitivity with increasing age and a progressive spreading of the loss from the higher to the lower frequencies. Men are more affected than women, with the hearing loss occurring at an earlier age and producing a greater degree of auditory impairment. The threshold curves of the present study are considered to yield a more valid estimate of the "pure" effects of age on hearing than previously available. It is recommended that future audiometric standards be specified independently for men and for women according to particular age levels.

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