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HEARING LOSS can be due to many causes — advancing years or continual exposure to loud noise are the most common — but it seems diabetes can also damage hearing. Anecdotal evidence had already suggested people with either type of the disease could face hearing damage, but recent studies in America concluded hearing loss was twice as common among those living with diabetes.
Scientists have not yet worked out why, although it is suspected the disease damages the small blood vessels in the inner ear, in the same way as it is known to affect the eyes and kidneys.
In most cases, the hearing loss is gradual. As the effectiveness of the ear decreases, in the short term the brain accommodates this, for example by filling in the parts of speech you mishear.
Eventually, the deafness will become so pronounced that the sufferer will need help from an audiologist, such as Nathan Gluck.
“Usually a patient has been urged to seek assistance by a loved one who is tired of having to repeat what they say, or coping with high TV or radio volume,” Gluck says. “Often the individual has been suffering for ten or more years and, in my experience, the longer the hearing loss has been present, the longer their rehabilitation takes.”
It is the insidious nature of hearing loss that makes regular checks vital, says Gluck. He likens hearing to eyesight, pointing out most people have Hearing loss is gradual so, without regular checks, patients may not notice anything is wrong for ten or more years
their eyes checked every couple of years but, for some reason, few people look after their ears in the same way.
“People with hearing loss aren’t just missing out on birdsong,” says Gluck. “Hearing is a vital part of your communication mechanism and it isn’t uncommon for those who are struggling to hear what people say
— particularly in noisy social environments such as restaurants, pubs or with groups of friends — to avoid this interaction.
“Failing to correct hearing loss can lead to social isolation, depression and ill-health — and, for diabetics, this can be on top of the medical issues they already have to cope with. Even if
the test shows there isn’t a problem, it gives a base line from which to measure their hearing in the future.”
Gluck and his daughter Michelle provide independent hearing care across north west London, Middlesex and Herts, with home visits for those unable to travel easily. Appointments: 020 8455 4210