This month is American Diabetes Month, so what better time to talk about the connection between diabetes and hearing loss? While these two chronic health conditions have been linked together since the 1960s, recent studies have recommended closely monitoring the hearing health of diabetes patients.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Diabetes, there are steps to take to interrupt the increased risk of hearing loss. This is of particular concern for those 65 years of age and older, as both health conditions disproportionately affect this age group.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes commonly refers to a group of metabolic disorders with high blood sugar levels over a sustained period.
- Type I Diabetes refers to when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin.
- Type II Diabetes is when the body develops insulin resistance, and cells fail to respond to insulin in a usual way.
The latter type is most common overall, and the elderly population has a much higher incidence of developing Type II Diabetes.
Why Diabetes might affect hearing loss
The effect of high blood sugar on blood arteries in the body is the most widely recognized explanation for the association between hearing loss and Diabetes. When a diabetic condition isn’t regularly checked, and blood sugar levels aren’t regulated, it can cause havoc on these vital cells.
The obvious ways untreated or uncontrolled Diabetes can impair the kidneys or the heart provides insight into the damage it is causing across the body. Limited blood supply to the inner ear has long been known to inflict irreversible harm to the delicate processes that govern our capacity to hear effectively.
Diabetes and hearing loss after 65
Both conditions are present in much higher percentages over 65, and type II diabetes affects 18-20% of people in this age demographic. So many cases go undiagnosed and its prevalence so common that recent recommendations urge screenings of all adults of 45 years of age for elevated glucose levels.
Hearing loss affects the elderly far more frequently than any other population. About one in three people between the ages of 64 and 74 have age-related hearing loss. That percentage increases dramatically for those over 75 years old, in which half of that category suffer from hearing loss. The long and short of it is that hearing loss is a likely companion in our old age.
Steps to take to interrupt the risk
The best way to navigate the increased risk of hearing loss is to ensure that you’re keeping a close eye on your diabetic condition. Many cases can be managed with diet and behavior changes upon recommendation from a physician or dietician.
If these steps aren’t controlling the condition, medication may be necessary. To preserve the health of the hearing system, heart, kidneys, and other essential physiological functions, following the doctor’s orders and regulating insulin levels is the first line of defense.
Signs of hearing loss
Hearing loss can be slow to make itself known. It often begins very subtly, only distorting higher frequencies. Instead of an overall decrease in volume, as one might expect the hearing loss to present, it more often appears as a distortion in the sound. If it seems as though your friends and neighbors have all started mumbling their words, you might want to pop in for that hearing test.
Signs of hearing loss in others may become apparent if they tend to become defensive or angry in everyday conversation, and this may be due to a lack of comprehension that leaves them frustrated. Group conversations or those held in listening environments containing a lot of background noise will also seem exceedingly tricky.
Next steps in treating hearing loss
Of course, some of us are destined to develop hearing loss based on genetics and nothing to do with precautions, lifestyle, and coexisting conditions. Thankfully, we live in an age where solutions abound. Suppose you or a loved one is exhibiting signs of hearing loss. In that case, it’s essential to schedule a hearing test with us as soon as possible to determine the next course of action.