Diabetes and hearing loss—what’s the link?
According to the American Diabetes Association, hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don’t have the disease. And, of the 86 million adults in the U.S. who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose.
This World Health Day (April 7, 2016) focuses on diabetes, the chronic disease that was the direct cause of death for 1.5 million people in 2012 and is projected to be the 7th leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.
Diabetes is a nasty condition that can, over time, seriously compromise every major organ in the body. Heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, impotence and infections that can lead to amputations. It is also a condition that is described as epidemic in its rapid increase.
According to the WHO, “a large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable. Simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Maintaining normal body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.”
Take care of your body and your hearing!