Hearing loss is often associated with aging. Many people believe that as you age, your hearing declines, and this may be the case for man. However, there are a small number of people who suffer from hearing loss due to another medical issue – a very common issue, known as diabetes. Many regard diabetes as a weight and endocrine condition, but its effect on hearing is often overlooked. Dr. Cassandra Fynes offers education and testing for diabetes related hearing loss in Mesa and surrounding areas.
How does diabetes play a role?
Diabetes is a medical condition in which a person’s body fails to properly regulate their body’s blood sugar. There can be different reasons for why your body cannot properly process sugar. It may be due to a pancreas that does not produce insulin. It may also be due to extreme weight gain. Whatever the reason may be, diabetes is very important to manage and treat. Some of the symptoms of diabetes may present as:
- Fatigue
- Extreme thirst
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Hearing loss
The last symptom, hearing loss, is frequently ignored or disregarded as another unrelated issue. In reality, diabetes can cause hearing loss. The high blood pressure that occurs in diabetic patients can put strain on the eardrums, which can lead to diminished ability to hear. Nerve damage, another common symptom of diabetes, can extend to the auditory nerves. Hearing loss related to diabetes is more common in type 2 diabetics than those with type 1 diabetes.
How do I manage hearing loss?
It is very important that you are screened and tested for diabetes if you suffer from hearing loss. Hearing loss from untreated diabetes may worsen if not corrected. To help patients take control of their health, Dr. Fynes offers screenings for patients who may suffer from diabetes-related hearing loss. She will perform some hearing tests and determine if you suffer from mild to severe hearing loss. She may also ask about general medical history to determine if diabetes plays a role in your hearing loss. She can counsel you in treatment options and can provide hearing aids if the hearing loss is substantial. Her office provides the most up to date technology and testing that will precisely treat your hearing loss
With the proper care and prevention, diabetes related hearing loss can be reversed or slowed. Some other key aspects of managing diabetes so that the hearing loss does not worsen are to:
- Stay on your diabetes medication
- Manage a healthy and balanced diet
- Exercise
- Monitor your blood sugar levels frequently
With all of these steps, you can reduce the effects of diabetes on your hearing and preserve your hearing for a long time.
