Diabetes And Hearing Loss

Have you heard of this complication of diabetes? How well your blood glucose is controlled may impact your hearing - permanently.

Just like the damage to the tiny blood vessels in your body from consistently higher blood sugar levels can impact organs such as your eyes and kidneys, your ears can be impacted as well.

About 37 million Americans have diabetes, estimates the American Diabetes Association. Meanwhile, about 34.5 million of them also have some type of hearing loss.

Experiencing hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don't have the condition, according to a recent study. Even for the 133 million people with prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30% higher than in those with normal blood sugar.

"Diabetes causes damage to blood vessels, and some blood vessels are prone to damage quicker," explains Kartike Gulati, DO, a fellowship-trained otolaryngologist at Franciscan Physician Network in Munster, Indiana. "There are two areas - the main artery to inner ear and the small capillaries in the inner ear – that if damaged, the whole inner ear function will eventually decline."

Diabetes Control And Your Ears

Decline in hearing isn't the only impact that poor diabetes control can have on your hearing. More immediately, people with diabetes are more prone to ear infections, Dr. Gulati said.

"An issue with diabetes is the poor blood flow makes you prone to ear infections," he said. "If you begin to have problems with ear infections as a diabetic, more aggressive treatments may be needed. Chronic ear infections may eventually require surgeries involving the ear."

Diabetes And Hearing Loss Research

Hearing loss is twice as common in people who have diabetes and 30% higher in people with prediabetes, compared with those adults who have normal blood glucose levels, research says.

"Hearing loss is a multi-factorial problem sometimes involving genetics along with environmental factors," Dr. Gulati said. "Diabetes is an overlooked environmental factor affecting the hearing. Other factors may also include noise exposure and atherosclerotic disease."

Decreasing Risk Of Hearing Loss In Diabetes

To help reduce the risk of hearing loss from damage to the blood vessels, stick to your diabetes treatment plan as directed by your healthcare provider. Note the ABCs of diabetes:

• A is for A1C. This simple blood test tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months.
• B is for blood pressure. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder than it should. Your blood pressure should be below 130/80.
• C is for cholesterol. Your cholesterol numbers tell you about the amount of fat in your blood. Generally the lower the LDL and the higher the HDL, the lower your risk of heart disease. Learn more about high cholesterol and treatment options.

Additionally, using hearing protection when you have exposure to high decibel noise will reduce risk of environmentally induced hearing problems.

Signs Of Hearing Loss

Symptoms of hearing loss can occur gradually. These changes may include:

• Difficulties hearing over the telephone or in conversations
• Asking others to repeat themselves
• Sensing that others are mumbling or not speaking clearly
• Misunderstanding what others say
• Having trouble following conversations that involve more than two people, 
• Turning up the volume of TV or other devices too high
• Having problems hearing in noisy places such as busy restaurants
• Hearing a ringing, roaring or hissing sound

"Diabetes usually causes a slow decline in hearing which is generally not reversible," though treatment options such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are available, Dr. Gulati said.

The American Diabetes Association advises that people who suspect they're losing their hearing to talk to their primary care doctors, and then potentially get help from an audiologist, a licensed hearing aid dispenser or a doctor who specializes in hearing problems.

Dr. Gulati cautions against putting off having your hearing evaluated.

“These are silent but serious problems,” he said. “Hearing loss is not just a quality of life issue. If you have poor quality life from one’s inability to hear, you’re at greater risk for mental and cognitive decline. You need to stay in touch with your hearing.”