Aging is one of the most typical indicators of hearing loss, and let’s face it, try as we may, we can’t escape aging. Sure, dyeing your hair might make you look younger, but it doesn’t really change your age. But you might not be aware that numerous treatable health conditions have also been associated with hearing loss. Let’s take a look at a few examples that might be surprising.
1. Your hearing can be affected by diabetes
The fact that hearing loss and diabetes have a connection is fairly well established. But why would diabetes give you an increased risk of suffering from hearing loss? Science is at a bit of a loss here. Diabetes has been known to harm the kidneys, eyes, and extremities. Blood vessels in the inner ear might, theoretically, be getting damaged in a similar way. But overall health management may also be a consideration. A 2015 study found that people with overlooked diabetes had worse results than people who were treating and managing their diabetes. It’s significant to get your blood sugar checked if you suspect you may have overlooked diabetes or are prediabetic. And, it’s a good plan to get in touch with us if you think your hearing may be compromised.
2. Risk of hearing loss related falls goes up
Why would your chance of falling increase if you have hearing loss? Our sense of balance is, to some degree, managed by our ears. But there are other reasons why falling is more likely if you have loss of hearing. People with hearing loss who have had a fall were the subjects of a recent study. Although this study didn’t delve into the cause of the subjects’ falls, the authors speculated that having trouble hearing what’s around you (and missing important sounds like a car honking) could be one issue. At the same time, if you’re struggling to pay close attention to the sounds nearby, you may be distracted to your environment and that might also result in a higher risk of having a fall. Fortunately, your danger of experiencing a fall is decreased by getting your hearing loss treated.
3. Safeguard your hearing by treating high blood pressure
Several studies have shown that hearing loss is connected to high blood pressure, and some have discovered that high blood pressure might actually hasten age-related hearing loss. Obviously, this is not the sort of reassuring news that makes your blood pressure drop. Even when variables like noise exposure or smoking are taken into consideration, the link has persistently been found. (You should never smoke!) Gender seems to be the only significant variable: The connection between hearing loss and high blood pressure is even stronger if you’re a male.
Your ears have a very close relation to your circulatory system. Along with the many tiny blood vessels inside your ear, two of the body’s main arteries run right by it. This is one reason why individuals with high blood pressure often suffer from tinnitus, the pulsing they’re hearing is actually their own blood pumping. That’s why this kind of tinnitus is known as pulsatile tinnitus; you hear your pulse. The principal theory why high blood pressure can bring about hearing loss is that it can actually cause physical harm to the vessels in the ears. Every beat of your heart will have more pressure if it’s pumping blood harder. The little arteries in your ears could potentially be damaged as a consequence. Through medical treatment and lifestyle change, it is possible to manage high blood pressure. But even if you don’t think you’re old enough for age-related hearing loss, if you’re having difficulty hearing, you should give us a call for a hearing exam.
4. Dementia and hearing loss
It’s scary stuff, but it’s significant to note that while the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been well recognized, scientists have been less productive at figuring out why the two are so powerfully linked. A common idea is that having trouble hearing can cause people to avoid social situations and that social withdrawal, and lack of mental stimulation, can be incapacitating. The stress of hearing loss overloading the brain is another idea. In other words, because your brain is putting so much energy into comprehending the sounds around you, you may not have much juice left for remembering things like where you put your keys. Playing “brain games” and keeping your social life active can be very helpful but the best thing you can do is treat your hearing loss. If you’re able to hear well, social scenarios are easier to handle, and you’ll be able to focus on the essential stuff instead of attempting to figure out what someone just said.
Schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible if you think you might be experiencing hearing loss.
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References
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2018/8541638/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1808869415310016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3889339/