5 Ways To Protect Your Hearing with Diabetes

What causes hearing loss? It generally starts early in life with exposure to loud noise. I grew up in the sixties so I was exposed to a good amount of loud music. People who work in airports or in some manufacturing situations where there's loud noise all the time can damage their hearing. Just getting older can contribute to hearing loss because it's cumulative. Some medications can affect your hearing. And, of course, diabetes also affects your hearing.

Did you know that hearing loss is twice as common in people who have diabetes as other people in the same age group who do not have diabetes? The scary part is that people who have pre-diabetes have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss than people who don't have pre-diabetes.

Why is diabetes such a problem with hearing loss? Because diabetes affects your whole body through the damage it does from poorly controlled blood sugar. High blood sugar, and particularly high and low spikes, damages blood vessels and nerves. Guess where these are! Yep, everywhere in your body.

What are some of the signs of hearing loss? Some signs are: asking people to speak up; asking people to repeat what they just said; not being able to follow a conversation, particularly in a loud space like a restaurant where there's a lot of noise or music; turning the TV up really loud and accusing people of mumbling. Now make no mistake, a lot of people mumble, but not everybody.

So what can we do about it?

First, get your blood sugar checked with your doctor.

Second, make sure your blood sugar is under control and as best you can, keep it there. It makes a huge difference.

Third, get your hearing checked every year. Start when you're first diagnosed with diabetes or as soon as you can. It is so important to stay on top of it.

Fourth, limit, manage or avoid loud noise. I go to a group training gym four times a week and they play really loud music. I got some earplugs from an audiologist who created them to fit my ears to reduce the damage that loud music is doing to my ears. After a year of using them, I have not had more hearing loss.

Finally, check with your doctor to see if there are medications you're taking that affect your hearing. There are some medications that can destroy your hearing and even your balance. You definitely want to check if there's any issues there and what alternative medications might be possible.

Not being able to hear and participate in life can be very isolating. I encourage you to do everything you can to keep your blood sugar in control and protect your hearing so you can preserve as much of it as you can.

Dr Elaine

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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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