I was watching my new favorite TV show and I cried. Once my eyes had stopped dripping, my ears started to. I immediately administered Q-tips. But it reminded me that I frequently end up with fall-out from crying that is not limited to my eyes. Apparently, there is a reason they’re called ear, nose, & throat doctors.
I know very little about ear tubes except that they help drain your ears. I know that they are frequently a pediatric issue. I also know that all the people I know who have needed them have been male. According to a(n extremely scientific) search of Google, boys do indeed get ear infections more often than girls (Google revealed many similarly worded articles, this is merely one), although there is no explanation (or speculation) regarding why. I was unable to find any data backing this up, merely the above-noted assertions.
Since crying is certainly one way to drain one’s ears, could it be that a social injunction against boys crying could increase the vulnerability to ear infections?
3 responses so far ↓
1 John White // Jan 23, 2007 at 7:11 pm
You’ve raised a very interesting question, but instead of thinking about it, I’ve decided to listen to The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry.”
2 Elise // Jan 24, 2007 at 7:58 am
LOL.
Second thought - though a funny thought, I wonder if you have tapped into something here? Hmmm….
3 nee // Jan 24, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I’ve cried a lot and I still get them.
This is the first I’ve heard of it being more frequent with boys. Thought #1 Every person I know who had tubes put in their ears due to frequent infections as a kid is a woman. Thought #2 Boys are more prone to play in dirt as well as stick things in their ears which can also lead to plugging and infections.
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