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There are many causes of hearing loss including exposure to loud noise, head trauma, some medications and old age. However, there are other risks that are less obvious. Researchers are finding a heightened risk of hearing loss for those with Diabetes.
What Exactly is Diabetes?
Diabetes is an issue with the way the body processes the nutrients from food. The majority of the food we eat is processed into glucose (also known as blood sugar). The pancreas is an organ that rests near the stomach and creates the hormone insulin which aids in sending essential nutrients from food into the cells of the body. When someone is diabetic, they struggle to get the energy required from food because the pancreas is not able to properly send insulin to the cells of the body. This causes the sugar to build up in the blood instead of sending it throughout the body.
Diabetes Classification
There are three types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is most common at the start of adolescence and does not allow the body to send insulin to the cells. It is an autoimmune issue in which the body attacks beta cells which produce the hormone.
Type 2 diabetes is the inability to properly process insulin in the blood cells and can develop over time. While most with Type 2 can produce insulin, the quantity is not sufficient to move the blood sugar into the cells. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes and has been connected to lifestyle choices such as smoking, excessive alcohol use and a diet full of processed sugar and lack of exercise.
The Health Risks of Diabetes
The number of people diagnosed with this disease is constantly rising to more than 50 percent in the last decade, according to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. Diabetes can cause significant and dangerous health issues such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and even lower-extremity amputations as nutrients are last delivered to the feet and other extremities. This condition is so serious that it is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
Diabetes and Hearing Loss
Because a major health risk of diabetes is a lack of blood to extremities this includes the ears. The inner ear is full of tiny hair-like cells called stereocilia. The stereocilia convert soundwaves into electrical pulses sent to the brain to process speech, location and spatial relationships based on sound. Stereocilia are very fragile and rely on a healthy supply of nutrient rich blood to ensure their health. When they do not receive the blood they need, stereocilia can be damaged, leaving people with permanent hearing loss.
Studies on Diabetes and Hearing Loss
A 2008 study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found the diabetic participants they tested were more than twice as likely to have mild to moderate hearing loss in comparison to those without the condition. In the case of patients with severe high frequency hearing loss 54% had diabetes versus 32% of non-diabetics.
A larger 2012 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism combined research from 13 studies involving more than 20,000 participants. The finding reported that regardless of age, diabetics are far more likely to suffer from hearing loss than non-diabetics.
Protecting Your Hearing from Diabetes
While diabetes is a very serious condition it’s effects can be controlled or avoided with medication and lifestyle choices. There are medications such as Metformin which works to lower glucose production in the liver and improves your body’s ability to use insulin more effectively. However, one of the greatest deterrents are lifestyle choices. Many researchers believe that diabetes is especially common in the US due to dietary choices. Avoiding sugars high is processed sugars, while eating vegetables and low fat meats can lower blood sugar levels and keep your cells able to absorb the vital nutrients to maintain your health. In addition, staying active and practicing cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes a day can keep your blood flowing and diabetes at bay.
Treat Your Hearing Loss
If you do have a hearing loss it is important that you treat it as soon as possible. Treating your hearing loss not only allows you to communicate clearly with the people in your life but allows you to stay active which in turn can help fight the effects of diabetes. Schedule a hearing exam today!