54 million Americans have low bone mass, also known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis happens when your body loses too much bone mass or doesn’t make enough bone mass, creating porous bones. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with your hearing health and why we’re posting a blog about this bone condition, right? Well, several studies have shown the link between your bone strength and your hearing. Researchers studying people with osteoporosis found that people with this condition had an increased likelihood of experiencing sudden hearing loss. After learning a little more about what these studies were about, it actually makes more sense.
Most people assume that because there are bones in your ears, that is what becomes affected and your hearing loss occurs over time. This is true, as the disease causes demineralization and weakens the bones to the point that they become very fragile and are easily broken. The auditory system has three small bones that are susceptible to the effects of osteoporosis and when they are damaged, sound is unable to be efficiently transferred to the auditory nerve. But there is a little bit more to the puzzle we’ve learned. In fact, research shows that osteoporosis may also affect your cardiovascular system. This in turn leads to a blood circulation issue which is one known cause for sudden hearing loss. If blood cannot flow, nutrients are not making it into your ears and they need these nutrients to stay healthy. Inflammation may also play a key role in the higher incidence of people with osteoporosis having sudden hearing loss. Who knew there could be this link, right?
So now we know that people associated with the condition of osteoporosis are more likely to experience sudden hearing loss, but we need to know a little more about why. In the meantime, anyone who has this bone and joint condition should pay careful attention to their hearing and take good care of it. It is important to protect your hearing from too much loud exposure (ear plugs can help), keep your ears dry, turn the volume down when wearing headphones, take medications only as directed and more. Our audiologists are always available to answer questions or test your hearing. For people who are already suffering from hearing loss, we also offer a variety of effective hearing aids to support your hearing needs and improve your quality of life. Osteoporosis is one condition that you will have to pay attention to for the rest of your life, don’t let hearing loss add to your stress.
