The Senior

Diabetes: A condition impacting hearing health

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Continue listening to the music while you dance by getting a hearing check with Audika. Picture from 123rf.com/98229974
Continue listening to the music while you dance by getting a hearing check with Audika. Picture from 123rf.com/98229974

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Did you know?

A 2009 Blue Mountains Study revealed people with diabetes are twice more likely to have hearing loss than those living without the condition (Type I and Type II) [1].

As we age, it's not uncommon to experience changes in our health, but did you know there may be a connection between hearing loss and diabetes? This Diabetes Awareness Month let's raise awareness on the connection between the two conditions.

While it's not known exactly why hearing loss is more common among people with diabetes, it is suggested that nerve damage caused by diabetes may affect the hearing nerves in the inner ear. Researchers also believe the prolonged high blood glucose levels may lead to hearing loss by affecting the supply of blood or oxygen to the tiny nerves and blood vessels of the inner ear.

Over time, the nerves and blood vessels become damaged, affecting the person's ability to hear [1]. As a result, individuals with diabetes are twice more likely to have hearing loss than those living without the condition (Type I and Type II) [1].

Further studies demonstrate people who have blood sugar levels higher than normal (i.e. pre-diabetics) have a higher rate of hearing loss compared to those with normal blood sugar levels [3].

The impact of untreated hearing loss

Untreated hearing loss may have a range of negative consequences on an individual's life and can lead to safety concerns, putting them at higher risk of falls, for example4. It can also impact you in various forms such as:

  1. You may feel left out of conversation
  2. Your social life may be impacted
  3. You may feel frustrated [5], lonely [5], anxious [6] and isolated [5,7], and
  4. You may experience increased fatigue [2].

Increased risk of other serious comorbidities such as accelerated cognitive decline have also been associated with hearing loss. In fact, some researchers found that older adults with hearing loss had a 24 per cent higher risk of cognitive decline than those whose hearing was within normal limits [8].

What can you do?

If you are living with diabetes or have any hearing concerns, book a hearing check with Audika to ensure you receive early diagnosis of any hearing loss and appropriate care. Call 1800 609 962 or click here to book now.

Seniors Card $50 Offer

Audika Hearing Clinic is partnering with Seniors Card in 2023 to offer eligible Seniors Card members a reward for prioritising their hearing health. New clients who complete an in-clinic hearing check are eligible for a $50 Visa Prepaid Gift Card. Offer available to Seniors Card members until 31 December 2023^.

^For full Terms and Conditions, click here.

About Audika

Over a billion people worldwide suffer from hearing loss. It is Audika's ambition to help more people hear better. Healthy hearing may contribute to a higher quality of life, and people deserve to reach their full hearing potential. These ambitions are what the hearing care experts at Audika work for every day.

Audika offers high quality expertise and hearing care at more than 300 Clinics across Australia, supporting hearing loss ranging from very mild through to severe. Audika is part of the Demant

Group, a global group covering many areas of hearing healthcare - from diagnostic instruments and traditional hearing aids to implantable hearing devices - which has a history spanning over 100 years.

Please visit audika.com.au for more information.

References

  1. Mitchell P, Gopinath B, McMahon C. M, Rochtchina E, Wang J.J, Boyages S.C and Leeder S.R, 2009, Relationship of Type 2 diabetes to the prevalence, incidence and progression of age-related hearing loss. Diabet Med, Vol. 26, No. 05, pp. 483-488.
  2. Jack A. Holman, Benjamin W. Y. Hornsby, Fred H. Bess, and Graham Naylor. Can listening-related fatigue influence well-being? Examining associations between hearing loss, fatigue, activity levels and well-being, Published online 2021 Jan 4.. https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14992027.2020.1853261
  3. Cruickshanks, K. J., Dhar, S., Dinces, E., Fifer, R. C., Gonzalez, F., Heiss, G., Hoffman, H. J., Lee, D. H., Newhoff, M.,Tocci, L., Torre, P., & Tweed, T. S. (2015). Hearing Impairment Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Vol. 141, No. 7, pp.641-648.
  4. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1108740
  5. https://www.who.int/health-topics/hearing-loss#tab=tab_1
  6. https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/Fulltext/2002/04000/Hearing_loss_and_anxiety_in_adults.6.aspx
  7. Lin FR, Metter EJ, O'Brien RJ, et al. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011;68(2):214-220. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2010.362
  8. Lin FR, Yaffe K, Xia J, et al. Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(4):293-299.

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