SPECIAL FEATURE
Could Diabetes Be Behind Your Hearing Loss and Tinnitus? By Robert M. DiSogra, AuD
The number of people in the United States who have tinnitus is approximately the same as those with diabetes or hearing loss. Almost three times as many people are considered “pre-diabetic.” Details and incidence figures can be found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Diabetes Statistics Report: 2020.1
What Is Diabetes? Diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by the body’s inability to create or effectively use its own insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. Insulin helps regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels — providing energy to body cells and tissues.
Without insulin, the body’s cells would be starved, causing dehydration and destruction of body tissues. Cardiovascular, eye, dental, kidney problems, and stroke could occur as well as hearing loss.
Types of Diabetes There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. • Type 1 is usually identified in young children (although adults, too, can have type 1). They must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump to survive. • Type 2 is the most common. Approximately 20 percent of people over age 65 develop type 2. Many people with it can control their blood glucose by following a healthy diet and a program of
“Tinnitus from hearing loss that could be related to diabetes should be of concern to persons under the age of 60. If the hearing loss has an unknown cause, there is a possibility that the loss may be related to pre-diabetes or diabetes.” 18
TINNITUS TODAY SUMMER 2020
regular physical activity, losing excess weight, and taking medications. Medications for diabetes often change for individuals during the course of the disease. Insulin can also be used to control blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. • Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy but usually resolves after delivery.
Diabetes Management The CDC offers the Diabetes SelfManagement Education and Support (DSMES) program to help people with diabetes learn how to take the best care of themselves.2
Hearing Loss and Diabetes A microscopic blood supply in the inner ear (cochlea) nourishes the hair cells critical for transmitting sound to the brain. When there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood in diabetes (hyperglycemia), the walls of these tiny vessels close in and get narrower. The narrower the opening, the less oxygen that enters the cells, which can lead to cell damage or death. The result is www.ATA.org
