Quick Answer
Emerging research has observed a link between menopause, hormone therapy, and hearing health. Studies associated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and summarized by Harvard Health suggest that long-term oral estrogen therapy (10+ years) and reaching menopause later (after age 50) are linked to a higher risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. If you’re noticing changes in your hearing during or after menopause, here’s what the research says — and what you can do.
If you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves, or turning up the volume more and more often, you’re not alone. Hearing loss affects millions of women, and menopause may be playing a part.
An area of emerging research has observed a link between hearing loss, tinnitus, menopause, and hormone therapy. According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, hormone therapy — pills or patches containing estrogen alone or combined with progesterone — may increase the risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. The same research found that women who reach menopause at an older age (50 and beyond) are at higher risk for hearing loss.
Research summarized by Harvard Health Publishing notes that hormones have been connected to everything from mood changes to hot flashes to hearing loss. Their reporting suggests that prolonged use (10+ years) of oral estrogen — as well as later menopause — is associated with a higher risk of hearing loss and tinnitus.
If you’re having trouble hearing or experiencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears), it’s worth understanding why.
Hearing Loss and Menopause
Declining estrogen can trigger the familiar symptoms of menopause — hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, fatigue, and more. But estrogen does more than most people realize. It plays an important role throughout the body, including the muscles, heart, brain, and bones — and estrogen receptors are also found in the cells of the ear and along the auditory pathways.
After menstruation stops, the ovaries produce less and less estrogen, and low estrogen levels may impair hearing. One proposed explanation is a change in blood flow to the cochlea, the spiral-shaped structure of the inner ear. Progesterone, estrogen’s counterpart, begins declining even earlier — in the mid-to-late thirties. Together, these hormonal shifts may contribute to hearing loss, tinnitus, and sometimes vertigo in your 60s and beyond.
If you take hormone therapy, monitor your hearing and use it only as long as needed, under the guidance of your physician.
What You Can Do to Protect Your Hearing
First and foremost, have your hearing checked by a doctor of audiology to find out the exact cause. While it may be menopause or hormone therapy, don’t assume — there are many possible causes of hearing loss and tinnitus, and identifying the right one guides the right treatment.
Diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight all help. For brain-healthy recipes that support active aging, Dr. Darrow offers a free cookbook at brainhealthyrecipes.com. Be mindful, too, of medications that are sometimes linked to hearing loss — ask your doctor — including over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, which have been associated with hearing loss when taken more than two to three times a week. Other conditions connected to hearing loss, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, also disproportionately affect women.
Finally, protect your ears from loud or constant background noise. Do your best to preserve your hearing as you age — and if you’re navigating menopause and noticing changes in your hearing, a comprehensive evaluation is the best place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can menopause cause hearing loss or tinnitus?
Emerging research links the drop in estrogen during and after menopause — along with later menopause and long-term hormone therapy — to a higher risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. Estrogen receptors exist in the inner ear, so hormonal changes may affect hearing. It’s one of several possible causes, so an evaluation is important.
Does hormone therapy affect hearing?
Some research associates long-term use (10+ years) of oral estrogen with a higher risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. If you use hormone therapy, monitor your hearing and use it only as long as needed under your physician’s guidance.
What should I do if I notice hearing changes during menopause?
See a doctor of audiology for a comprehensive evaluation rather than assuming the cause. Menopause and hormone therapy are possibilities, but so are medications, noise exposure, and other health conditions — and the right treatment depends on the right diagnosis.
Noticing Changes in Your Hearing?
Menopause could be part of the picture — but don’t assume. A comprehensive evaluation with a doctor of audiology can pinpoint the cause and the right next step.
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About the Author
Keith N. Darrow, Ph.D., CCC-A, FAAA is a neuroscientist and clinical audiologist and the Director of Audiology Research at Hearing & Brain Centers of America. He holds a doctoral degree from the joint Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, and is a tenured professor at Worcester State University. A Certified Dementia Practitioner with more than 20 years in hearing healthcare, he writes and speaks widely on hearing, tinnitus, and brain health.
Sources
“Hearing loss linked to late menopause, extended hormone use.” Harvard Health Publishing. Based on research associated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. This article is an educational summary and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
Reviewed & edited by Keith N. Darrow, Ph.D., CCC-A, FAAA — July 23, 2026.