Genetic predisposition, aging, and prolonged exposure to loud noise are all familiar factors that can contribute to hearing loss. However, you might find it interesting to understand the connection between diabetes and hearing loss. 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 rises with age. Hearing loss is two times as prevalent in individuals with diabetes in comparison to those who don’t have the condition. 133 million Americans are pre-diabetic and even they have a 30% increased risk of developing hearing loss than people whose blood sugar is normal.
Diabetes can cause nerve damage across various bodily regions, encompassing the hands, feet, eyes, kidneys, and ears. The degeneration of the small blood vessels inside of your ears can be accelerated by high blood sugar levels. And on the other end of the spectrum, the transmission of nerve signals from the inner ear can be disrupted by low blood sugar. Worsened hearing loss can be the outcome of both situations.
Damage to the kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and blood vessels can be caused by chronic high blood pressure resulting from uncontrolled diabetes.
You may have hearing loss if you notice any of these signs
Hearing loss frequently develops slowly and can go undetected if you aren’t actively paying attention. It’s not unusual for people around you to notice your hearing loss before you become aware of it.
Some indicative signs of hearing loss include:
- Perceiving others as mumbling
- Keeping the TV volume really loud
- Difficulty following phone conversations
- Constantly needing people to repeat what they said
- Having a tough time hearing in noisy places
If you encounter any of these difficulties or if someone points out changes in your hearing, it’s worthwhile to consult with us. We will carry out a hearing examination that will establish a baseline for future assessments and also deal with any balance-related challenges.
If you have diabetes, be proactive
We encourage anybody with diabetes to get a yearly hearing test.
Keep your blood sugar levels within the desired range.
Avoid loud noises and safeguard your ears by using earplugs.