Do you exercise regularly? Are you watching your weight? Do you smoke and/or drink excessively? If a healthy lifestyle is not a priority, you are at a higher risk of developing Type II Diabetes. About 90 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and between 90% and 95% have the Type II version which can occur at any age.
This disease which is characterized by high sugar levels can also have an affect on your hearing. That’s because blood sugar has the ability to damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in your ears. That means if you have Type II Diabetes and aren’t controlling it, you may just have damaged many small blood vessels within your ears.
So what can you do to help prevent hearing loss if are a diabetic?
- Control Your Blood Sugar. Diabetes, whether Type 1 or Type 2 can be challenging to manage. If you work at it and manage your blood sugar well, your hearing should stay sharper longer.
- Don’t Smoke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start; if you do smoke, quit as soon as possible. Smoking speeds hearing loss without the Diabetes factor, but acts as a risk multiplier when combined with other hearing loss risk factors including poorly controlled Diabetes.
- Manage Loud Noise Environments. While it is impossible to stay away from all loud environments, try to keep it to a minimum. If there is no way around it, for example at a job, try utilizing noise cancelling headphones and/or other hearing protection devices. It won’t fix the Diabetes but can help prevent further hearing loss.
Hearing loss should be considered a diabetes-related complication. If you are a Diabetic, it is highly recommended to have your hearing checked annually. Call us today at (585) 432-4480 or click here to make your appointment.