A new estimate shows rural Americans and men are more likely to suffer from hearing loss. That doesn’t surprise SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac audiologist Dr. Angela Eggebrecht. “It does not surprise me at all,” Dr. Eggebrecht told AM 1170s Between the Lines program. “Living in the Fond du Lac area we are in that rural area, we see lots of farmers as well as hunters. I do feel that in the rural areas the hunting is more common and more noise exposure to equipment, and farm equipment.” The study published in The Lancet Health Americas Journal is the first to estimate rates of hearing loss at the state and county level. Working with loud machinery and hunting can damage hearing in a short time. The study found men were more likely than women to have hearing loss.
