We’ve known for a long time that eating too much is harmful to our health, this is especially true over time. There are a number of health conditions that are connected to obesity. You can add hearing loss to diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease as a possible issue. It’s estimated that approximately 48 million people in the United States, loss of hearing is an issue for approximately 20% of the U.S population, and roughly double that number of adults, 93 million, are obese. These numbers are staggering and point to a serious health issue throughout the country.
How Is Being Overweight Connected to Loss of Hearing?
Numerous studies have demonstrated that there’s a link between obesity and hearing loss. Exactly what that connection is, is still being investigated, it’s thought that obesity is connected to hearing loss because the circulatory system is impacted. Also, obesity is linked to high blood pressure and diabetes, which are also connected to hearing loss.
The inner ears are filled with tiny hairs that detect sound in the ear. These little hairs, called stereocilia, require a steady blood flow and oxygen to work properly. Because of obesity, the flow of blood is restricted in the body because the heart will have to work extra hard to get the blood flowing around the body, which means that there is less than ideal amount of blood flow supplied to your ear. Your hearing can be irreversible impaired in this way. Considering that all of these conditions effect the blood flow, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure impact the inner ear in a similar way.
Keeping your weight under control is particularly important as you get older since age-related hearing loss and a high index of fat mass are also related. When you were younger, your body’s metabolism worked faster and more efficiently, which is the reason why you need to try to follow healthy habits that you formed when you were younger.
Your hearing and your overall health are benefited by good nutrition.
Obesity Related Hearing Loss Treatment Options
If your loss of hearing is caused by obesity, you may never be able to get it back, still, so that you can figure out how considerable your loss of hearing is, it’s beneficial to have your hearing examined. If you have irreversible damage, you may need a hearing aid or other device to start hearing properly again.
If the damage is not that serious, you might have considered trying to see your physician about creating a diet and exercise strategy to decrease the impact your weight has on your well being before it gets any worse. Your doctor should recommend a cardio intensive exercise routine that will strengthen your general health and get your blood pumping. There will be, more than likely, other improvements in your life as well, mental health, for example, since regular exercise has been proven to decrease depression.
Obesity-Related Hearing Loss, How to Avoid it
In order to protect against obesity-related loss of hearing day to day exercise and a healthy diet are necessary. Your ears will most certainly be kept in superior shape if you keep your body healthy. A program that can help you attain your goals and that is customized for you can be created by a nutritionist. The nutritionist can make certain you’re consuming the right mixture of nutrients in healthy foods, including foods that have plenty of iron, because of course, a lack of iron in your diet can worsen your hearing loss and trigger tinnitus.
Discover more regarding hearing loss and how you can hear better with the appropriate treatment.