{"id":1285,"date":"2021-11-12T16:26:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T00:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2021-11-12T16:26:44","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T00:26:44","slug":"national-diabetes-month-how-diabetes-hearing-loss-are-related","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/national-diabetes-month-how-diabetes-hearing-loss-are-related\/","title":{"rendered":"National Diabetes Month: How Diabetes & Hearing Loss Are Related"},"content":{"rendered":"
November is National Diabetes Month, which means there\u2019s no better time to learn about the disease and its connection to others, particularly hearing loss<\/a>. Below we provide an overview of a study linking diabetes to hearing loss and discuss how the two are related.<\/p>\n The study<\/a> was published in Annals of Internal Medicine <\/em>in June 2008 and was conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.<\/p>\n For the study, researchers analyzed data collected between 1999 and 2004 from participants ages 20 to 69. A total of 2,259 participants received both hearing and blood glucose tests.<\/p>\n The researchers found that:<\/p>\n According to the study authors, \u201cThis is the first study of a nationally representative sample of working age adults, 20 to 69 years old, and we found an association between diabetes and hearing impairment evident as early as ages 30 to 40.\u201d<\/p>\n While researchers aren\u2019t exactly sure why there\u2019s a link between diabetes and hearing loss, they have a number of theories.<\/p>\n One theory is that high blood sugar can damage the nerves throughout the body, which is known as diabetic neuropathy. While this most often occurs in the feet and legs, it can also affect the hearing nerve.<\/p>\n Another theory is that high blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels within the inner ear, compromising hearing ability.<\/p>\n Both theories have to do with high blood sugar. Following a diet approved by your physician and buying healthy foods from People\u2019s Food Co-Op<\/a> may be the best thing you can do for your hearing health if you are diabetic.<\/p>\n For more information about the link between diabetes and hearing loss or to schedule an appointment<\/a> with a hearing loss expert, call Mt. Hood ENT today.<\/p>\nAbout the Study<\/h2>\n
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Why the Link?<\/h2>\n
What You Can Do<\/h2>\n