Diabetes Can Lead To A Surprisingly Higher Risk Of This
Maybe you've started turning up the TV, asking people to repeat themselves, or struggling to follow conversations in noisy restaurants.
It's easy to shrug those moments off, especially when you're not expecting age-related hearing changes yet. But if you have diabetes, it may be worth mentioning those changes at your next checkup.
A recent review of 29 studies examined the connection between diabetes and hearing loss and found that age may play an important role.
What the review looked at
Researchers combined data from 29 studies involving adults with diabetes or prediabetes. They focused on moderate-to-severe hearing loss, meaning hearing problems significant enough to make everyday conversations harder to follow.
They also looked at whether age, diabetes duration, and other factors changed the relationship.
The connection was strongest before 60
About 1 in 4 adults with diabetes had moderate-to-severe hearing loss. Compared with people without diabetes, those with diabetes had more than twice the odds of having this level of hearing loss.
The connection was strongest in younger adults.
Among people under 60, diabetes was linked to roughly 3X the odds of moderate-to-severe hearing loss. In adults 60 and older, the association was weaker and wasn't statistically significant.
That doesn't mean diabetes stops affecting hearing after 60.
Age-related hearing loss becomes increasingly common with age, which can make it harder to separate the effects of diabetes from the effects of aging.
Why diabetes might affect hearing
There's a plausible biological explanation.
Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body. The inner ear relies on both for healthy function, so damage could affect how the ear detects and processes sound, which makes it worth knowing how to protect your ears earlier in life.
Still, the review only found an association between diabetes and hearing loss. It can't prove that diabetes directly causes hearing loss, and more research is needed to understand the connection.
What to do if your hearing feels different
You don't need to wait until you're constantly saying "What?" to pay attention. A few changes are worth mentioning to your health care provider:
- You're asking people to repeat themselves: Especially when the room is relatively quiet.
- The volume keeps creeping up: If you're regularly turning up the TV or phone, take note.
- Noisy rooms are harder to navigate: Trouble following one voice amid background noise can signal a change in hearing.
- Ask about a hearing test: If you have diabetes and notice these changes, ask whether a hearing evaluation makes sense for you.
Hearing loss isn’t reversible in most cases, but catching it early can make it easier to manage with options such as hearing aids and communication strategies.
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The takeaway
Your blood sugar isn't the only health marker worth keeping tabs on. For people with diabetes, paying attention to hearing changes could help catch a problem earlier, especially before 60.