Diabetes and Hearing Loss – What’s the Connection? According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 34 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and an estimated 34.5 million have some type of hearing loss. A recent study found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don’t have the disease. Also, of the 88 million adults in the U.S. who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose.
How to Protect Your Ears
Diabetes and Hearing Loss
Here are some simple tips to help those with diabetes improve their hearing health:
Hearing loss happens for many reasons such as aging or if you spend too much time around loud noises. Having diabetes also puts you at risk for hearing loss. Managing your blood sugar is a critical part of your diabetes care. It can also help protect your hearing. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear. Low blood sugar over time can damage how the nerve signals travel from the inner ear to your brain. Both types of nerve damage can lead to hearing loss.
Signs of Hearing Loss Hearing loss can happen slowly, so it can be hard to notice. Often, friends and family members will notice your hearing loss before you do.
Hearing exams are often overlooked when it comes to routine diabetic care, but they are an important aspect of overall health. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends having your hearing tested when you first find out you have diabetes and then every year after. Make it part of your diabetes care schedule.
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Make an appointment for a comprehensive hearing exam: Just like annual eye exams, make a habit of scheduling an appointment for a routine hearing exam every year. If you notice any changes in your hearing, you should see your primary care physician who can refer you to an audiologist.
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Keep your blood sugar under control: High glucose levels can have an effect on hearing health, so it’s important to monitor blood sugar levels and take medicine as prescribed.
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Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Even for those without diabetes, it’s important to steer clear of unhealthy habits such as smoking and lack of exercise.
Signs of hearing loss include: •
Often asking others to repeat themselves.
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Thinking that others are mumbling.
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Problems hearing in noisy places, such as busy restaurants.
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Turning up the TV volume too loud for others who are nearby.
To request an appointment with the Pennsylvania Ear Institute call 215.780.3180.
Put the Q-Tip Down When Cleaning Your Ears Purpose of Earwax The purpose of earwax (cerumen) is to keep your ear canal clean. It is a normal, protective coating for the sensitive skin of the ear canal. Earwax helps to keep dust and dirt away from the eardrum. It has antibacterial characteristics to protect against infections, it functions as an insect repellent to keep bugs out of your ears, and it helps to lubricate the ear canal, which prevents dry, itchy skin. The ear is structured to remove its own earwax. All that’s called for on your part is regular showering and cleaning the external ear with a cloth.
Dangers of Using Q-Tips (Cotton Swabs) • Earwax impaction: Using a cotton swab to try to clear earwax from your ear can actually push the earwax deeper in. This can prevent earwax from naturally clearing and cause it to build up inside your ear. The accumulation of too much
earwax can lead to pain, a feeling of fullness in the ear or muffled hearing.
• Rupturing the eardrum: The most common cause of eardrum rupture is injury to the ear. This typically occurs from using cotton swabs or other instruments in the ear at home. Not only is rupturing the eardrum painful, but it can also lead to hearing loss and infections.
• Infection: Using a cotton swab in your ear can introduce different bacteria, dust, and dirt into your ear and lead to ear infections.
• Getting material stuck in the ear: Cotton material from cotton swabs can also get lodged and stuck in the ear. This can cause hearing loss, infections, and discomfort. Some people may overproduce earwax, which can plug the ear canal and cause earaches, infections, and other problems. An excess of earwax can result in some hearing loss,
which typically resolves once the wax is removed. Earwax removal should only be done by a licensed audiologist or a physician who has been trained to remove earwax. If your problem isn’t serious, but you do feel like you have too much earwax buildup, you can try putting a few drops of baby oil, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, or glycerin in your ear to soften the wax. Most over-thecounter wax removal kits are effective at softening wax so it can work its way out of the ear naturally. If you have excessive earwax, make an appointment with an audiologist to have it properly removed.
Audiologists at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) can remove earwax safely. To schedule an appointment with one of PEI’s audiologists, please call 215.780.3180.
The Eye Institute (Oak Lane) 1200 West Godfrey Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19141 Appointments: 215.276.6111 The Eye Institute (Chestnut Hill) Chestnut Hill Plaza 7630 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118 Appointments: 215.276.6111 The Eye Institute (Norristown) 1401 DeKalb Street Norristown, PA 19401 Appointments: 610.278.7787 SalusUhealth.com/TEI
Pennsylvania Ear Institute 8380 Old York Road, Suite 120 Elkins Park, PA 19027 Appointments: 215.780.3180 1200 W. Godfrey Avenue (Oak Street Health Entrance) Philadelphia, PA 19141 SalusUhealth.com/PEI
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