We often hear that diabetes affects the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Yet, we often don’t think about hearing, which also depends on small blood vessels and nerves, which in uncontrolled diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the body.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004, by Kathleen E Bainbridge & Colleagues, 5100 adults who had hearing tests performed and found that people with diabetes were much more likely to have hearing loss than those without diabetes.
Thus the recommendation is that people with diabetes should have their hearing tested and can benefit from treatment of their hearing loss, if any.
Free hearing screenings are offered at any of our six offices in Hawaii.