Written by Donna Haupt, PA-C
November is Diabetes Awareness month, a perfect time to highlight the ear problems that put diabetics at particularly high risk.
More than 38 million people in the United States have diabetes, and a recent study found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don’t have diabetes. Equally concerning is the fact that, of the nearly 98 million adults in the United States who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose (blood sugar).
Nerve damage is a well-known complication of diabetes, so this applies to the auditory nerves in your ear too. Right now, we don’t know precisely how diabetes is related to hearing loss. It’s possible that the high blood glucose levels associated with diabetes cause damage to the small blood vessels in the inner ear, similar to the way in which diabetes can damage the eyes and the kidneys. Diabetes can also lead to poor blood circulation in the ear, leading to degeneration of the cochlear hair cells. This can result in sensorineural hearing loss.
Your hearing can also be affected by the fluctuations between high and low blood sugar of diabetes. Your ear contains a special fluid around the cochlea, which is vital for it to function. Low blood sugar levels cause a chemical imbalance in this fluid, thereby changing the way your ear processes sounds.
Moreover, studies also suggest that diabetes can damage the balance center of the inner ear known as the vestibular system. This, along with the peripheral neuropathy often found in diabetes, is likely why the incidence of falls is 39% higher in people with diabetes.
For those who are already diabetic, it’s essential to have a healthy balance of exercise and a good diet in order to ensure that blood circulation to the ear is maintained and the risk of hearing loss is minimized.
It is also especially important that diabetics pay special attention to any symptoms of ear pain. It is well known that diabetics are at heightened risk of infection because of high blood sugar levels and poor blood circulation. This is why malignant otitis externa, a dangerous ear canal infection, is seen almost exclusively in patients with diabetes. It principally occurs in individuals with diabetes older than 35 years and is almost always due to a nasty bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It begins with ear pain which can quickly spread to adjacent soft tissue, cartilage, and bone.
If you have diabetes and ear pain, make an immediate appointment to see one of our ENT providers. Our ENT medical team can also set up baseline hearing tests to make sure any hearing loss or balance concerns are quickly evaluated, and proper steps taken to help best manage your diabetes risks. We have offices in Danbury, New Milford, Ridgefield & Norwalk, and same-day appointments may be available. Book your appointment now by calling us or requesting online today.
– Donna Haupt, MMSc, PA-C
Donna Haupt, PA-C has over 11 years of experience as an ENT Practitioner as well as 10 years of prior specialty care and internal medicine experience. Donna Haupt accepts adult & pediatric ENT patients at Advanced Specialty Care in Ridgefield, Norwalk, and Danbury, CT.
ADVANCED SPECIALTY CARE
Advanced Specialty Care Ear, Nose & Throat and Head & Neck Specialists are recognized as some of the region’s top ENT Physicians. Call (203) 830-4700 to schedule an appointment with a Specialist at any of our convenient offices in Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk and Ridgefield, CT.
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