Let’s face it, there’s no getting away from aging, and with it often comes hearing loss. You can do some things to look younger but you’re still getting older. But did you realize that hearing loss has also been linked to health issues associated with aging that are treatable, and in some instances, avoidable? Here’s a look at a few examples, #2 might come as a surprise.
1. Diabetes could impact your hearing
So it’s pretty well recognized that diabetes is connected to a higher danger of hearing loss. But why would you have a higher danger of developing hearing loss if you have diabetes? Well, science doesn’t have all the solutions here. Diabetes has been known to damage the kidneys, eyes, and extremities. Blood vessels in the inner ear might, theoretically, be getting destroyed in a similar way. But general health management could also be a factor. A 2015 study that looked at U.S. military veterans underscored the connection between hearing loss and diabetes, but specifically, it found that those with unchecked diabetes, in other words, individuals who aren’t controlling their blood sugar or otherwise managing the disease, suffered worse consequences. If you are concerned that you might be prediabetic or have overlooked diabetes, it’s important to talk with a doctor and get your blood sugar checked. And, it’s a good idea to get in touch with us if you think your hearing might be compromised.
2. Danger of hearing loss related falls goes up
Why would your chance of falling go up if you have hearing loss? Though our ears play an important part in helping us balance, there are other reasons why hearing loss could get you down (in this case, very literally). Individuals with hearing loss who have taken a fall were the participants of a recent study. Although this study didn’t investigate what had caused 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 around you, you may be distracted to your environment and that may also lead to a higher chance of falling. Luckily, your risk of experiencing a fall is reduced by having your hearing loss treated.
3. Control high blood pressure to safeguard your hearing
High blood pressure and hearing loss have been closely linked in some studies indicating that high blood pressure may accelerate hearing loss due to the aging process. This kind of news may make you feel like your blood pressure is actually rising. Even when variables such as noise exposure or smoking are taken into consideration, the connection has persistently been found. (Please don’t smoke.) The only variable that is important seems to be sex: The link between hearing loss and high blood pressure is even stronger if you’re a male.
Your ears have a close relation to your circulatory system. Two of your body’s principal arteries are positioned right near your ears and it contains many tiny blood vessels. This is one reason why people with high blood pressure frequently suffer from tinnitus, the pulsing they’re hearing is actually their own blood pumping. That’s why this kind of tinnitus is called pulsatile tinnitus; you hear your pulse. The principal theory why high blood pressure can lead to hearing loss is that it can actually cause physical harm to the vessels in the ears. Every beat of your heart will have more force if it’s pumping blood harder. That could potentially harm the smaller blood arteries inside of your ears. High blood pressure is manageable through both lifestyle improvements and medical interventions. But if you think you’re dealing with hearing loss, even if you believe you’re not old enough for the age-related stuff, it’s a good move to talk to us.
4. Cognitive decline and hearing loss
It’s scary stuff, but it’s important to note that while the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been well documented, scientists have been less successful at figuring out why the two are so strongly linked. A common theory is that having problems hearing can cause people to stay away from social situations and that social withdrawal, and lack of cognitive stimulation, can be debilitating. Another theory is that hearing loss overloads your brain. In other words, because your brain is putting so much energy into understanding the sounds around you, you might not have much juice left for remembering things like where you left your keys. Maintaining social ties and doing crosswords or “brain games” could help here, but so can treating hearing loss. If you’re able to hear clearly, social scenarios are easier to handle, and you’ll be able to focus on the important stuff instead of trying to figure out what somebody just said.
Schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible if you think you may be experiencing hearing loss.
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/
