Diabetes and Hearing Loss

While it may be interesting to note that 30 million people have diabetes and 34.5 million people have hearing loss in this country, there’s actually been a link proven between the two. Researchers just completed some studies of 20,000 people from the United States, Asia, Brazil and Australia to determine whether diabetes and hearing loss are intertwined. The answer is yes; however no one really knows why yet. You may have heard that you have twice the chance of having some degree of hearing loss than someone who is not diabetic. This is an alarming finding. This puts diabetes and hearing loss at the top in terms of two health concerns in the United States, points out the American Diabetes Association.

Correlation Between Diabetes and Hearing Loss

Although one solution to curbing this correlation is to do a better job of controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics so hearing impairment doesn’t happen, not enough is known about the causes yet for this to be a an office suggestion. Because diabetics ingest many medications and diuretics related to lowering their blood pressure, no one knows if this could actually be causing the hearing loss. While the link between diabetes and hearing loss is not in question, the exact reason why is still unknown. The high blood glucose levels that are associated with diabetes can harm your inner ear’s sensitive blood vessels. This is one of the factors being explored but conclusive evidence is still yet to come. Hearing loss occur in diabetics just like they can suffer from problems with the eyes, kidneys and feet. But to learn more about the connection between the two conditions, more research must be undertaken. Old age and a noisy working environment, according to researchers – well known to cause hearing loss – don’t seem to play into the scenario of diabetes and hearing problems.

Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss

You may have difficulty picking up on background noise when there’s a crowd of people around. This is one big sign of hearing loss. Perhaps you only hear muffled sounds instead of clear words when people are talking to you. This too can lead to hearing loss as it relates to diabetes. Other signs of hearing loss include the failure to adequately keep track of conversations involving multiple participants, inability to distinguish the voices of small children or women, and the tendency to crank the volume to high on the TV or car radio. We know this can be embarrassing; however, it’s also dangerous. Driving a car or walking along a busy street, for instance, can pose a dangerous threat if you can’t hear what’s going on around you. You may also avoid parties so you don’t have to be embarrassed about not hearing anyone. This is why you should see an audiologist for diagnosis and treatment.

Testing for Diabetes

All diabetics should get routine testing for hearing loss. When you next see your doctor, ask for a hearing exam so you can get treated by a specialist right away. This should be part and parcel of any doctor visit for diabetics, yet it’s not – even though doctors check many other components of a diabetic’s health at checkups. Be an advocate for your ears and ask for an audiologist referral.