This November, Test Your Hearing in Honor of American Diabetes Month

This November, Test Your Hearing in Honor of American Diabetes Month

It’s November, which means it’s the American Diabetes Association’s time to host American Diabetes Month. This is a period to grow awareness of diabetes, its risk factors, and the importance of managing it carefully. Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States—about 37 million people have the disease, many of whom do not yet realize it.

Diabetes and Hearing Loss

Diabetes has been shown to make hearing loss twice as likely for those who have it. Prediabetes increases the risk by 30%. While it isn’t known yet why diabetes increases the likelihood of developing hearing loss so significantly, it is widely speculated that it has something to do with elevated blood sugar levels damaging the delicate structures in the inner ear. More research is underway to find out.

Because diabetes increases the risk of hearing loss, it’s important to find out as soon as possible whether you have diabetes. The sooner you know about it, the sooner you can manage it effectively and reduce the risk of developing hearing loss as a result. Similarly, some of the modifiable risk factors for diabetes are the same as those for hearing loss, independently of having the disease, so adjusting your lifestyle to reduce your risk of diabetes also helps reduce the likelihood—or severity—of hearing loss.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

Some of the risk factors for diabetes can’t be avoided or changed. These are known as “non-modifiable” risk factors. Others are things over which you have control, known as “modifiable” risk factors.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors for Diabetes

Even though you cannot do anything about these risk factors, it is still important for you—and your doctor—to know about them in order to understand the degree of risk you may have.

  • Family History of Diabetes – If a relative has or had diabetes, your risk is increased. The closer the relative, the greater the increase in risk.
  • Race/Ethnicity – Some Americans are at a greater risk than others. Those of Asian, Latino/Hispanic, African, Pacific Islander, or Native American descent have a higher risk than others.
  • Age – Most people who develop diabetes acquire the disease in mid-life, after age 40. As you continue to age, your risk increases. It should be noted, however, that more children and teens have been diagnosed with diabetes in recent years.
  • Gestational Diabetes – If you had gestational diabetes—a temporary form of diabetes that affects you while you are pregnant—you are at a greater risk of developing the disease again later in life.

Modifiable Risk Factors for Diabetes

Even if you check all the boxes above, you may still avoid diabetes by addressing any of the modifiable risk factors below.

  • High Body Weight – Overweight and obese people are at a significantly higher risk of diabetes than those who maintain their target weight. Talk to your doctor about what your target weight should be. If you are obese, you can significantly reduce your risk of diabetes by losing 5–10% of your body weight, with the risk decreasing with additional weight loss.
  • Low Physical Activity – A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of diabetes. While even a brisk walk for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, can reduce your risk, the optimal amount of physical activity is 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity, aerobic exercise, with additional weight training.
  • Poor Diet – A healthy diet is of critical importance to overall health, as well as reducing your risk of diabetes. Avoid processed food, and increase fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, fish, whole grains, legumes, and unsalted nuts and seeds. Recent research has also revealed that an anti-inflammatory diet—such as DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) or AMED (Alternate Mediterranean Diet)—significantly reduces the risk of hearing loss, as well.
  • Smoking/Alcohol – Embark on a smoking-cessation program as soon as possible. Keep trying to quit until you succeed! While a little alcohol is fine, heavy drinking (more than 14 drinks/week) inflames the pancreas, decreasing insulin production. Alcohol also raises blood sugar.
  • High Stress, Poor Sleep – Stress and poor sleep tend to feed off of each other, in a kind of vicious cycle. Those who get more or less than 7–9 hours of sleep each night, on average, are at a higher risk for diabetes. Poor sleep increases stress, which also makes it more difficult to sleep. Try to spend some time relaxing every night for a few hours before bedtime. This helps your body calm down, so you’ll be more likely to sleep easily when you do go to bed.

If you haven’t had a hearing test in a while, take action this American Diabetes Month and focus on your hearing health—a critical aspect of your overall good health and well-being!