The WHO estimates that 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss and acknowledges that people with diabetes are twice as likely to experience hearing loss than those who don’t have diabetes 
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Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of hearing loss due to the damage high blood sugar causes to blood vessels and nerves essential for hearing. Despite this, hearing health is rarely prioritised in diabetes care, but now, doctors are calling for the government to recognise and include hearing screening in routine diabetes care.

Stating that access to holistic diabetes care is crucial to address the overlooked link between diabetes and hearing loss, a condition affecting several diabetics worldwide, Rajesh Kesari, executive council member, Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India, Delhi Chapter, says that there is a close relationship between diabetes and hearing loss. Hearing loss occurs twice as frequently in patients with uncontrolled diabetes as compared to the non-diabetic population, he adds.

Dr. Kesari explains that people with high sugar levels frequently have dryness in their ears, frequent infections, both fungal and bacterial infections etc. “It is important for people with diabetes to keep their blood sugar under control because it has implications not only for other vital organ systems like the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and legs, but it is also very important to preserve our hearing and maintain our balance,” he says.

“Diabetic neuropathy and nerve damage is a well-known complication of diabetes, so it can affect nerve signals from the inner ear to the brain, causing hearing loss. Diabetes is a metabolic vascular dysfunction of the whole body, which includes the inner ear, and so, hearing loss can increase as far as age is concerned as well. It is however, a much -ignored symptom,” says Anil Gomber, senior consultant, internal medicine and diabetology, Apollo Spectra Hospital.

Anoop Misra, endocrinologist and director at Fortis C-Doc, adds: “One established problem in diabetics is that they get more ear infections if their diabetes is uncontrolled.’’

Exact link mechanism remains unknown

The World Health Organization (WHO) also notes that while the exact mechanism that links diabetes to hearing loss is unknown, it is possible that high or low blood sugar levels damage the nerves and small blood vessels in the inner ear. This can impact how nerve signals travel from the inner ear to the brain, leading to hearing loss.

The WHO estimates that 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss and acknowledges that people with diabetes are twice as likely to experience hearing loss than those who don’t have diabetes.

“The risk is even higher for people with prediabetes, who have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss than people with normal blood sugar levels,’’ cautions the WHO.

Raja S. founder of Hearzap, a company working in the area of hearing diagnostics and care said: “Understanding the issue, we now collaborate with healthcare professionals to address the link between diabetes and hearing loss and also run awareness programs, hearing camps, and educational outreach tailored to diabetic patients. There is an urgent need to enhance public awareness and access to care in this sector.” He adds that hearing impairment and its neglect leads to people becoming alienated from their social contacts, and leads to cognitive decline as well.

“The first step to managing this condition is taking a hearing test that should be able to detect the problem quite early in order to limit long-term effects. Following regular check-ups, basic hearing protective measures against loud noises should help prevent damage and conserve hearing,’’ Mr. Raja says.