Almost 26 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. More than 34 million Americans have some type of hearing loss, and that number is rising as baby boomers age.
A recent international study suggests that there may be a link between diabetes and hearing loss.
Even accounting for other factors, like advancing years, impaired hearing found in the study was twice as common among people with diabetes, compared to those without it.
It’s consistent with the notion that poor blood sugar control — which can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body — and not simply old age might explain why people with diabetes have more hearing problems.
The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, are based on studies involving more than 20,000 people in the United States, Asia, Brazil and Australia. Most studies found an association between diabetes and a higher prevalence of hearing problems.
In the study sample that involved people in the United States, nearly half of adults with diabetes had some degree of hearing loss compared with about 20 percent of their non-diabetic counterparts.
Across the studies, neither age nor exposure to a noise-filled workplace could explain the connection between hearing loss and diabetes, said Chika Horikawa, a dietitian at Niigata University in Japan, leading the analysis.
The study points out the importance for people with diabetes to have their hearing checked and monitored. Some research also suggests that hearing loss can increase the odds of dementia and depression, possibly adding an even greater challenge to the difficulties of diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, some common signs of impaired hearing include: Asking other people to repeat themselves frequently, feeling that others are not speaking clearly, and adjusting the television or radio volume to levels that are too loud for others near you.
Dr. Dena Riso at Peninsula Hearing Center, knows the value of routine hearing screening, not only to prevent hearing loss, but as a general well-being measure. As Dr. Dena says “hearing well is living well!”