What a Few Too Many Pounds Can do to Your Hearing

Obese woman watching her weight after learning it was causing hearing loss.

It’s well recognized, that over time, eating way too much will be detrimental to your health. Obesity is associated with quite a few health concerns. Heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and you can add hearing loss to the list, also. It’s estimated that approximately 48 million individuals in the United States, loss of hearing is a problem for about 20% of the U.S population, and around double that number of adults, 93 million, are obese. These figures are shocking and point to a serious health issue throughout the country.

How Is Being Overweight Related to Hearing Loss?

Several studies have revealed that there’s a relationship between being overweight and hearing loss. While scientists are still researching the relationship, it’s assumed that being overweight is related to loss of hearing because the circulatory system is impacted. Additionally, hearing loss is related to high blood pressure and diabetes which are recognized to be linked to being overweight.

Sound in the ear is detected by tiny hairs inside the inner ear. These hairs, called stereocilia, need a steady blood flow and oxygen to work correctly. Obesity restricts the flow of blood throughout the body because, in order to keep the blood flowing throughout the body, the heart needs to do additional work, which means that there is not enough blood flow available to your ear. The ears can be permanently injured by this. Because all of these diseases effect the flow of blood, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure impact the inner ear in the same way.

Keeping your weight under control is especially important as you age since age-related hearing loss and high-fat mass index are also related. Your body’s metabolism doesn’t work as fast or as well as it did in the past, which is the reason why you need to attempt to stick with healthy habits that you started when you were younger.

Good nutrition and exercise are great for your over-all health and your hearing.

Obesity Associated Hearing Loss Treatments

It’s feasible that you may not be capable of recovering your lost hearing if it’s caused by obesity, still, in order to figure out how considerable your loss of hearing is, it’s essential to get your ears evaluated. If you have irreversible damage, you may require a hearing aid or other device to begin hearing correctly again.

If the injury is not that serious, you may want to see your physician before your health becomes worse, about creating a diet and exercise plan to decrease the impact your weight has on your health. Your doctor should prescribe a cardio intensive exercise routine that will get your blood pumping and strengthen your overall health. There will be, most likely, other improvements in your life also, like mental health, since day to day exercise has been proven to lessen depression.

How Can You Avoid Obesity-Related Hearing Loss

A balanced diet and a consistent exercise strategy are required for controlling obesity-related disorders including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Your ears will certainly be kept in superior shape if you keep yourself healthy. A good place to start is a consultation with a nutritionist who can assist you to develop a plan that’s personalized for you and is focused on assisting you to reach your goals. The nutritionist can make sure you’re eating nutritious foods with the correct combination of nutrients, including foods that have plenty of iron, because of course, a lack of iron in your diet can worsen your loss of hearing and lead to tinnitus.

Learn more regarding hearing loss and the treatment options available to help you hear better.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Schedule an appointment to see if hearing aids could benefit you.