Hearing loss has many causes: loud noise, infection, and various diseases. One lesser-known disease that can cause hearing loss is diabetes.
Diabetes is becoming more and more common around the world, and it is becoming more recognized as a cause of hearing loss. One study found some degree of hearing loss in 21 percent of 399 study participants with diabetes, as opposed to 9 percent in the adults without diabetes.
If you have pre-diabetes, there is cause for concern as well: the study found that people who were pre-diabetic had a 30 percent greater likelihood of developing hearing loss than the adults with normal blood sugar levels.
It is believed that higher blood sugar levels may damage blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear, similar to the way they damage kidneys and eyes.
With 30 million diabetics in the U.S. alone, this is cause for great concern. Diabetes (and pre-diabetes) can result in a host of health issues, hearing loss only one among them.
What Can I Do?
According to research, most American adults have Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, which can be prevented and sometimes reversed. The causes of adult-onset diabetes are things that by and large are easily preventable: a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and poor diet.
Start taking steps today to improve your overall health: exercise more (just walk around the block a couple times!), eat whole, unprocessed food and cut down on sugar. Not only will you feel better, but you may save your hearing in the process, along with your eyes, kidneys, heart, liver…
Also be sure to have your hearing checked once per year to monitor your hearing health. Hearing damage occurs slowly and may not be noticed until it has progressed to an irreversible level. If you are consistently checking your hearing, you may be alerted to a problem before you even notice it.
Make a commitment today to improve your overall health by cleaning up your diet and being more active every day.
Here at California Hearing Center we are committed to your hearing health. Call us today to set up an appointment for a hearing screening.