November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Educate, Advocate and Cure.

The holiday season is fast approaching – a wonderful time to see family and friends and gather around a table to enjoy delicious food and conversation. While the season is magical, for millions of Americans with hearing loss linked to prediabetes and type II diabetes, the season is a reminder of how careful they must be to not cause more damage to their hearing.

What does it mean to have prediabetes and type II diabetes?

In the U.S. alone, 100 million people (one third of the population) are living with prediabetes or type II diabetes. The disease is caused by an increase in glucose (sugar) found in all carbohydrates, and the body's inability to produce enough insulin to keep the blood sugar at a normal range. To date, there is no known cure - only a regimen of treatments to manage the disease.

Having high blood sugar is damaging to the body and can cause serious health problems, such as:

• Eye damage

• Hearing loss

• Slow healing wounds

• Skin conditions

• Heart and blood vessel disease

• Nerve damage (neuropathy)

• Kidney damage

• Alzheimer's disease

In the U.S. alone, 100 million people (one third of the population) are living with prediabetes or type II diabetes.

What causes hearing loss in people with type 2 diabetes?

According to the National Institute of Health, people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop hearing loss than in individuals who do not.

In the 2008 study, researchers concluded that diabetes and continued high blood sugar may contribute to hearing loss by damaging nerves and blood vessels throughout the body, including your ears. Neuropathy (nerve damage), a common complication of type II diabetes, may be another culprit in damaging the auditory nerves causing hearing loss.

Another research suggests that women with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes may experience greater hearing loss than those without the disease.

How can I prevent hearing loss resulting from type II diabetes?

While living with diabetes is manageable, it is very important to follow a strict plan with your doctor to be able to control the symptoms of prediabetes and type II diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health, these are some of the best things you can do to reduce the symptoms of diabetes:

• Manage your weight

• Eat healthier - boost your hearing health with these recipes

• Exercise daily

• Take your medications

• Test your blood sugar - keep records!

• Do not avoid the doctor

If you have diabetes, it is important that you get your hearing checked annually to note any changes. Contact us to make an appointment!

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