You may be familiar with the numerous factors contributing to hearing loss, like the impact of aging, genetic predisposition within families, or prolonged exposure to loud sounds. But the connection between hearing loss and diabetes isn’t as well known. Let’s dig a little bit deeper into that.
How does diabetes raise your risk of hearing loss?
As per the CDC, 9% or 37 million individuals in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes, and this prevalence increases with age. And if you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to develop hearing loss. Even in pre-diabetics, constituting 133 million Americans, the degree of hearing loss is 30% higher than in people with normal blood sugar levels.
Diabetes can result in nerve damage across various bodily areas, including the hands, feet, eyes, kidneys, and ears. High blood sugar levels can cause the deterioration of small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ears. Conversely, low blood sugar levels can interrupt the transmission of nerve signals from the inner ear to the brain. Worsened hearing loss can be the outcome of both scenarios.
The lack of diabetes control causes chronic high blood pressure, leading to damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, and eyes.
Signs you may be dealing with hearing loss
Hearing loss often happens slowly and can go undetected if you aren’t actively paying attention. In many cases, friends and co-workers might observe the issue before you identify it.
Here are a few signs of hearing loss:
- Struggling in noisy restaurants
- Perceiving others as mumbling
- Constantly needing people to repeat what they said
- Difficulty hearing on the phone
- Keeping the TV volume really loud
If you experience any of these challenges or if somebody points out changes in your hearing, it’s worthwhile to consult with us. We will perform a hearing exam that will establish a baseline for future assessments and also deal with any balance-related challenges.
Be proactive if your navigating diabetes
We encourage anyone with diabetes to get a yearly hearing test.
Maintain control of your blood sugar levels.
Use ear protection and avoid overly loud settings.
