Diabetic patients can see a higher rate of hearing loss; here’s why and what to do.
Hearing loss can have at least one of many causes, and these causes might surprise you. Internal issues in the body can affect one of the most sensitive organs, the ear. Kidney problems and hip replacements are just two examples. Diabetes, the disorder of how the body produces glucose or insulin, can also affect your ears. Check out the connection between diabetes and hearing loss below.
How Diabetes Can Affect Hearing
Diabetes affects blood circulation because of high glucose levels. If diabetes goes untreated, this condition can cause damage to the inner ear. The hair cells of the cochlea can become damaged with improper blood circulation, and this damage is unfortunately permanent. For this reason, people with diabetes are more likely to suffer from high-frequency hearing loss.
How Diabetes Can Affect Balance
Similarly, the vestibular system, another part of the inner ear, can suffer damage when blood circulation is insufficient. The vestibular system controls our sense of balance. Therefore, people with diabetes are more likely to start seeing balance issues, especially if they do not treat their diabetes.
Diabetes and Tinnitus
Tinnitus is thought to be the result of damage to the hair cells. The hair cells in the cochlea help to take sound waves and transfer them into electric signals which go up the auditory nerve to the brain. Tinnitus appears to have some commonality with people with diabetes.
The Need to Treat Hearing Loss
Diabetes can affect multiple parts of the body. It can result in blurry vision and make it harder for cuts and scrapes to heal, for example. Perhaps due to our culture, it is much more normal to treat vision loss promptly than hearing loss. However, untreated hearing loss can make one socially isolated, cognitively less functional, and more likely to fall. If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend getting a hearing test once a year to prevent these issues.
Diabetes and Hearing Loss
Ultimately, the primary focus concerning diabetes and hearing loss is treating the cause of the health problem. Keeping on top of diabetes treatment is the key to good health, and Clarity Hearing is there to help you with your hearing along the way.
Trust the Experts at Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions
Need help with your hearing? Clarity Hearing can help. Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions is an independently owned and operated clinic that focuses on quality of care and personalized, friendly service to the surrounding areas of Ellicott City, Catonsville, Columbia. Our Doctors of Audiology are highly trained with advanced degrees and take the time to provide the personalized care and attention that you need and deserve. We provide advanced hearing aid options that are personally calibrated with cutting-edge digital technology to fit your hearing loss, your unique ear anatomy, and your individual listening needs.
You can call us today to schedule a FREE Hearing Protection Consultation at 410-698-6594! For more blog posts, news, and updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.