Hearing loss and diabetes
What is Diabetes?
In people with diabetes, the ability to convert sugar from food into energy is impaired due to problems with the production of insulin. Diabetes 1s often a lifetime condition once diagnosed.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 that requires injections of insulin and type 2 that is generally managed with healthy eating and lifestyle changes.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as It is in those who don't have the disease.
The US. data suggests that, among persons with diabetes between the ages of 50 and 69 years, more than 70% have high-frequency hearing impairment and one third have low- or mid-frequency hearing impairment.
The data also suggests that persons with diabetes may experience hearing loss at earlier ages. Also, of the 86 million adults in the U.S. who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30% higher than in those with normal blood glucose.
What should you do?
If you - or someone you know - has diabetes, they should have regular hearing checks to monitor hearing levels.
References
http://www.asha.org/aud/articles/diabetes-hearing-impairment/
http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/drhagr/research/hearing%2OlossY%20among™%2Odiabetes/the%20effectM200f%20 diabetesY%20on%2Osensorineural.pdf
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2008/niddk-16.htm
http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/
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