Our hearing's gotten better in the last 20 years, here's why

The elderly of today have better hearing than Norwegians of the same age 20 years ago, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Less exposure to noise at work has been especially beneficial for men, while women have benefitted from fewer ear infections. A general improvement in quality of life and the health system in Norway, better hygiene and use of antibiotics have also had an impact.

So has the fact that we smoke less, according to the study that was recently published in BMC Public Health.

"There's a slight correlation between smoking and hearing that might be due to increased risk of clogged arteries that impact blood circulation in the ear," says researcher Bo Engdahl in a press release from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

65.000 people participated in the study. The researchers used data from the HUNT-study, which maps the health of the population of Trøndelag county.

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