According to a study performed at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, diabetes could be associated with the kind of hearing loss typically associated with advanced age.
The study, reported on in August 2013 in the medical journal Laryngoscope, put together eighteen articles on diabetes and hearing, and analysed them as if they were one big study.
It was found diabetics had a 91 percent higher rate of hearing loss than non-diabetics.
Tests suggested hearing loss was caused by damage to the nervous system rather than to the ear itself.
The kind of hearing loss the subjects exhibited is called sensorineural.
The eighth cranial nerve, or auditory nerve, carries electrical signals to what is called the cerebellopontine angle of the brain, where it is processed.
Damage to the auditory nerve or the processing center of the brain, are the two most common types of sensorineural hearing loss.
People with sensorineural hearing loss typically have difficulty hearing high frequency sounds.
They often complain of being able to hear speech but being unable to distinguish words clearly.
An audiologist can test hearing to determine whether sensorineural hearing loss has developed.
During the test, earphones are placed over the ears and various sounds are directed into the ears.
High and low sounds and loud and soft volumes are produced to determine how loud a sound of any particular pitch has to be before the patient is able to hear it.
At that point the audiologist can recommend the type of hearing aid that is best and adjust it for the patient's needs.
Some hearing aids can be adjusted by the wearer so they are able to hear under different circumstances.
By tapping on the hearing aid, the wearer can select a setting for listening to a conversation, watching television, or conversing on the telephone.
Different style of hearing aids are available.
In general, the smaller the hearing aid is, the more expensive it is and the faster it will use up batteries.
1.
A hearing aid that is molded to fit entirely inside the ear canal is unnoticeable and works well for mild to moderate hearing loss.
Patients who spend time outdoors like it because it does not pick up wind noises.
Being entirely inside the ear it does not interfere with using telephones.
Using small batteries, it is economical.
2.
Hearing aids that sit at the outer edge of the ear canal are also good for telephone use but have the added advantage of more features.
They can be adjusted for different uses.
It too is good for treating mild to moderate hearing loss.
3.
Half-shell hearing aids are good for people with mild to severe hearing loss.
They fit outside the ear canal and, being slightly larger than those that fit into the canal, they are easier to handle.
4.
Full shell hearing aids are larger and easier to adjust, with larger batteries that are easier to insert.
They can pick up wind noise and are more visible than other types.
5.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids fit, the name suggests, behind the ear and transmit sound through a wire to the ear canal.
It is the largest, most visible kind of device, but it also can produce the most sound volume, If sounds are becoming fuzzy lately and everyone appears to be mumbling, it might be time for a hearing exam.