What you need to know about hearing loss and diabetes
Published: 8/24/2023 2:11:42 AM
It’s important for everyone to have their hearing checked regularly, but it’s particularly important if you have diabetes. Several recent health studies identified a link between hearing loss and diabetes, a chronic metabolic condition which causes glucose levels in your blood to spike.
What's the connection?
Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing a sudden hearing loss. It appears that the more severe your diabetes is, the higher the risk. Several studies found that high blood sugar levels can damage the tiny blood vessels in the inner ear, which disrupts sound reception and make it harder to hear. This sudden onset hearing loss can affect anyone with diabetes – it isn’t restricted to people of a certain age group or those living in noisy environments.
In fact, a study in India showed that diabetics aged 15 to 50 were prone to high frequency hearing loss, and people with diabetes are twice as likely to have a hearing impairment.
We are here to help
All this means that, if you have diabetes it is important to have regular hearing checks. Please come in and see us anytime at your local Hearing Australia centre for a simple 15-minute hearing check .
15-minute hearing checks are available for adults at any of Hearing Australia's locations across the country. Find a centre near you.
