Beverly Hills Hearing Center was founded in 1983 by Bonnie Baehr. Prior to that, Dr. Baehr practiced at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles as a staff audiologist for seven years. She was involved with diagnostic testing, hearing aid evaluations, research and rehabilitation. Dr. Baehr did her clinical fellowship training at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in downtown Los Angeles. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, American Speech Language and Hearing Association, California Academy of Audiology and Academy of Doctors of Audiology.
Latest posts by Bonnie L. Baehr, Au.D. (see all)
- Exploring the Genetic Landscape of Hearing Loss: Understanding the Role of Genetics - April 15, 2024
- The Hazards of Pretending to Hear - March 25, 2024
- Navigating the World of Cochlear Implants: A Comprehensive Guide - March 15, 2024
Diabetes is a severe condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. When your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it properly, sugar builds up in your blood and can damage many parts of your body, including your eyes and ears.
Diabetes has become one of the conditions most commonly associated with hearing loss in adults under 75 years old because high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to sensory cells within the inner ear. This condition is referred to as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) because it affects not only the outer hair cells but also the inner “hair cells,” which transmit sound signals through nerve fibers (axons).
1 in 3 Americans with diabetes also has hearing loss
You may be surprised to learn that hearing loss is a risk factor for diabetes. But it’s true. Research shows that 1 in 3 Americans with diabetes also has hearing loss and vice versa.
Hearing loss can cause trouble communicating at work or school and lead to social isolation. If you struggle to hear others, getting help from your doctor or an audiologist (an ear specialist) is essential.
There are now 22 million Americans who have diabetes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are now 22 million Americans who have diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body uses food. For example, eating something sugary like candy or drinking soda causes your blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Over time, this can damage your pancreas until it stops producing enough insulin—the hormone that helps turn sugar into energy. This condition is known as type 1 diabetes; if left untreated, it can lead to blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults than type 1; rather than simply not producing enough insulin on its own due to genetic factors or other unknown causes (which may be related), type 2 diabetics’ bodies become resistant to insulin’s effects over time due to lifestyle choices such as overeating sugar or being inactive for long periods.
Hearing loss affects 30 percent of people over 65 and nearly half of those over 75.
Hearing loss is a significant problem for the aging population, affecting 30 percent of people over 65 and nearly half of those over 75. It’s also on the rise among younger adults, with one in four Baby Boomers reporting a hearing loss.
The most common causes of hearing loss are age, noise exposure, and genetics. Older adults who have diabetes are at an increased risk for developing all three types: conductive (damage to the outer ear), sensorineural (damage to the inner ear), and mixed (both).
Hearing is vital to the quality of life—it’s how we communicate with others verbally and nonverbally through facial expressions and gestures.
Hearing impairment can make daily tasks like cooking dinner or cleaning up after dinner strenuous without someone else present to help; it’s also linked with depression when symptoms go untreated or occur despite treatment efforts like medication or surgery because there’s an emotional component involved too! Early detection can mean faster recovery time from surgery if necessary, so talk about your concerns with your doctor today!
Diabetes is one of the most common causes of hearing loss in adults under 75.
Diabetes is more than a condition that causes you to have too much sugar in your blood. It can also cause nerve damage, hearing loss, and other health problems. Diabetes is one of the most common causes of hearing loss in adults under 75.
Diabetes can affect different parts of your body—and it’s essential to understand how it affects each area so you can protect yourself against serious complications that might arise from diabetes-related issues.
The lifetime risk for developing hearing loss is still significantly higher among people with diabetes than those without (58% versus 34%).
The link between diabetes and hearing loss is more than just a coincidence. Diabetes can have an impact on your health, including your ears. If you’re not careful about managing your diabetes or don’t get regular checkups from a doctor, it can lead to severe complications like heart disease and stroke—and even death! Hearing loss may influence how well you take care of yourself, which could affect your blood sugar levels or other aspects of your health.
You can protect your ability to hear by managing your blood sugar levels.
The link between diabetes and hearing loss is not simple. Diabetic people can experience several other symptoms, including tingling in the extremities and numb hands or feet. It’s important to remember that not every diabetic person will have these issues and that not everyone with hearing loss has diabetes.
So how do you know if your high blood sugar levels are affecting your ability to hear? First, talk with your doctor about any changes in your sense of balance or dizziness after eating certain foods; second, ask them whether he thinks it would be worth taking some tests to see if there’s a connection between diabetes and hearing loss. If so, schedule a consultation with an audiologist who specializes in treating patients with both conditions—that way, you’ll get all the help you need!
We hope that by now, you have a better understanding of how diabetes can affect your hearing and vice versa. This is especially important for people at increased risk for both conditions—including those with prediabetes and prediabetes, those with a family history of diabetes and hearing loss, or those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels in the past.
If you fall into one of these categories (or don’t but still want to be proactive), contact us to set up a hearing test.