It appears that type 2 diabetes may have an effect on your hearing. Many studies that have looked into this association seem to observe a connection between diabetes and hearing.
Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center performed a review of the literature on the association of diabetes with hearing impairment. Their results have been published in the journal Current Diabetes Reports. They noted that there is compelling evidence that type 2 diabetes has a negative effect on hearing.
In terms of how type 2 diabetes affects hearing, they hypothesize that a wide range of factors, such as oxidative stress, high blood sugar, auditory neuropathy, and cochlear microangiopathy may contribute to the deterioration.
In the review, the impact of type 2 diabetes on hearing loss was found to be much stronger in younger individuals. The researchers suggest that this strong association may be because there may be other contributing factors in older individuals that may affect hearing loss.
Since this is a review of existing studies that did not take into account many other contributing factors to hearing impairment, the authors of the review suggest that more extensive studies are required to look into the impact of the status of diabetes and other factors of the disease on hearing impairment.
The degree of hearing impairment may vary with the severity of diabetes. It would be advisable to examine individuals with type 2 diabetes for any signs of hearing impairment based on the results of this review.
Adequate prevention and maintenance strategies will go a long way for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And taking care of your ears is one way to do that!
