4 Surprisingly Common Diseases That Are Linked to Hearing Loss

Being an advanced country, the USA may be viewed as healthy and productive. While we are above par in healthcare facilities when compared to developing countries, it may be noted that there are certain public health issues that are proving to be a concern for the government. There are certain diseases and conditions that the country, as a whole, is trying to combat and get rid of. No matter how extensive the government’s efforts are in warding off diseases, they would be deemed worthless if not supplemented by individuals in the public.

It might come as a surprise for some of us that nearly 20% of all Americans are suffering from some form of hearing loss. While many consider hearing loss to be a diseases of the elderly, the facts state that three out of every 1,000 children is hard of hearing or deaf. The most worrying fact, however, is that 60% of the people with hearing loss are either in the workforce or in educational settings. Due to these reasons, hearing loss is a major public health issue in the United States. Not only that, hearing loss is also linked to other common diseases and cannot be controlled effectively without first controlling the following diseases.

1.     Diabetes & Hearing Loss

A very commonplace disease, diabetes is now considered a “household” disease due to its prevalence in the populace. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are more than 30 million people suffering from diabetes. More alarmingly, though, there are 86 million people with pre-diabetes who are at the extreme risk of being diabetic because of their extraordinarily high blood glucose levels. Researchers have revealed that diabetics are twice as likely to develop hearing loss as non-diabetics, and those with pre-diabetes have 30% higher hearing loss than normal people.

2.     Obesity & Hearing Loss

America is considered to be one of the countries with the highest incidence of obesity. It is also posed as a major public health issue since obesity is the cause behind many other diseases in the human body. What’s unexpected is that obesity also leads to hearing loss. Studies conducted on 68,000 women confirm that BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference are directly linked to hearing loss. As the body mass and waist circumference increase, the risk of hearing loss also increases. It’s true in the reverse sense too. The same study showed that exercise could lessen the risk of hearing loss since women that walked for about two hours per week lowered their hearing loss risk by 15% compared to those who walked only an hour every week.

3.     Heart Disease & Hearing Loss

The Laryngoscope published a study that showed a strong correlation between audiogram patterns and cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial disease, indicating that there is an important connection between hearing and cardiovascular health. Researchers believe that heart diseases lead to an improper flow of blood in the inner ear, which damages the cells that are responsible for hearing.

4.     Stress & Hearing Loss

More often than not, most of us have experienced some form of stress, whether at work, in school or at home. The International Journal of Tinnitus published the results of a study that discovered a connection between stress and sudden hearing loss. Stress increases the risk of heart disease and blood pressure, which in turn leads to hearing loss.