Hearing Health and how it's Impacted by Diabetes

We are continuing our coverage on diabetes and hearing loss. 

Your levels of blood sugar, whether they are too high or too low, can harm your hearing health. Here is some advice on how to help prevent hearing loss if you are a diabetic. 

There are many causes for hearing loss, such as natural aging or over-exposure to loud noises. Diabetes is another potential factor in hearing loss. Monitoring and controlling your blood sugar levels is a crucial part of taking care of your diabetes. This can also help preserve your hearing. 

Diabetes and Hearing Loss   

Nerve damage can occur due to diabetes. This can affect your entire body from your feet to your ears. 

As time progresses, small blood vessels and nerves found in the inner ear can deteriorate from high levels of glucose that enter your blood. If you have low blood sugar, it can negatively impact how nerve signals are transferred from your inner ear to your brain. Hearing loss can occur as a result of both of these types of nerve damage. 

Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss than people of the same age group who do not have diabetes. People who have prediabetes (blood sugar levels that are higher than average, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes) are 30% more likely to experience hearing loss than individuals with normal blood sugar levels.     

How do I know if I Have Hearing Loss?

As frequently mentioned in this blog, hearing loss happens gradually over time. It may be undetected by the person affected. Friends, family, and colleagues usually notice your hearing loss before you do. 

The signs:

• Frequently asking others to repeat what they said.
• Difficulty following along with conversations if more than one person is speaking.
• Believing that other people who speak are mumbling, when they’re not.
• Struggling to hear young children, some women, or anyone who speaks softly.
• Difficulty hearing when there’s too much background noise. 
• Regularly turning up the volume for the TV or stereo, while others nearby ask you to turn it down.
• Balance issues. This can be caused by problems that stem from your inner ear. Learn more about that from this article. 

Protect Your Hearing by Protecting Your Ears

Hearing loss cannot be cured, but here’s a guide on how you can protect your hearing health:

• If you are a diabetic, carefully monitor your blood sugar levels. Keep them close to your goal level.  
• Get an annual hearing test. This should become part of your diabetes care.
• Avoid spaces that are too loud, or wear earplugs/earmuffs. 
• Review your medications, some of which may cause hearing loss. 

Hearing loss can negatively affect your relationships and interactions with family, friends, colleagues, healthcare providers, and other professionals. Hearing health is just one out of several reasons why taking care of your blood sugar levels needs to be a priority. You can also feel better and have more energy by doing it!

If you or a loved one notice hearing loss for any reason, please get in touch with one of our hearing instrument specialists who will help you towards a journey of better hearing and overall health. 

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