Midlife hearing complaints may occur in the context of interacting physiological changes. Image: Monkey Business/stock.adobe.com. ENT surgeon DR REBECCA HEYWOOD explains what happens to hormones and hearing during the menopausal transition and examines whether hormone replacement therapy can protect hearing. By Dr Rebecca Heywood Many women notice subtle changes in their hearing during midlife....
No actionable change — this is an expert opinion blog piece summarising an emerging area; evidence linking HRT to hearing outcomes is not yet strong enough to alter clinical practice.
As the audiology field increasingly recognises sex-based differences in hearing health, understanding hormonal influences during perimenopause could open new screening and referral pathways for a large and underserved patient group.
- 01Falling estrogen during perimenopause may negatively affect inner-ear function and auditory processing.