--- title: "Diabetes and Hearing Loss | Sutter Health" description: "I have diabetes and I read recently that people with this disease have a higher risk of hearing problems. Why would this be, and is there anything I can do to prevent it?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312" --- 1. Home / 2. Diabetes and Hearing Loss # Diabetes and Hearing Loss * * * Medically reviewed by - Wendy Schreuder, M.S. ## Question I have diabetes and I read recently that people with this disease have a higher risk of hearing problems. Why would this be, and is there anything I can do to prevent it? ## Answer It is true that diabetes can cause hearing loss in cases that are more severe. Not everyone will get hearing loss with diabetes, and it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow your physician's recommendations for medications and diet. I recommend you have a hearing evaluation as a baseline for monitoring your hearing over time. This way, if there are changes to your hearing, your doctor can discuss your treatment and overall health. Below is an excerpt from an article on diabetes and hearing loss from the American Diabetes Association: "Diabetes and hearing loss are two of America's most widespread health concerns. Nearly 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and an estimated 34.5 million have some type of hearing loss. The numbers are similar — is there a link? Yes, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In fact, the NIH has found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don't have the disease. Also, of the 79 million adults thought to have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood sugar. How does diabetes contribute to hearing loss? Hearing depends on small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear. Researchers believe that, over time, high blood glucose levels can damage these vessels and nerves, diminishing the ability to hear." ## Explore related topics DiabetesEar, nose and throatEarsHearing Loss ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Hearing Loss Research Is there any research being done to help treat and prevent hearing loss? So many older people I know seem to be dealing with it. - Health Q&A ### Hearing Loss and NSAID Use I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen? - Health Q&A ### Is Hearing Loss Inevitable As We Age? What can I do to prevent hearing loss as I get older? I have a family history of hearing loss and wonder if I can do anything to avoid it. - Health Q&A ### Noises in Ear I have a thumping sound in my left ear. The sound is rapid and irregular, and not synced with my pulse. It started four days ago at night. Today for first time I noticed sounds like tapping gently on a speaker cone. It doesn't seem to affect hearing. - Health Q&A ### Tickling in Ear Canal For the past three months, I've had a constant and irritating tickle in my inner ear. It even wakes me up at night. I've used ear rinses and had my primary care doctor examine it, but she could not find anything. Any suggestions? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Diabetes and Hearing Loss"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312","name":"Diabetes and Hearing Loss","description":"It is true that diabetes can cause hearing loss in cases that are more severe.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/diabetes-hearing-loss-1051061312#question","name":"Diabetes and Hearing Loss","text":"I have diabetes and I read recently that people with this disease have a higher risk of hearing problems. 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The numbers are similar — is there a link? Yes, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In fact, the NIH has found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don't have the disease. Also, of the 79 million adults thought to have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood sugar. How does diabetes contribute to hearing loss? Hearing depends on small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear. 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