It’s well understood, that over time, overeating will be unhealthy to your health. There are several health conditions that are connected to obesity. You can add hearing loss to high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes as a possible concern. It’s estimated that around 48 million individuals in the United States, loss of hearing is an issue for about 20% of the U.S population, and almost double that number of adults, 93 million, are obese. These figures are surprising and point to a significant health concern throughout the country.
How Is Obesity Connected to Hearing Loss?
Various studies have shown that loss of hearing and being overweight have a connection. Exactly what that connection is, is still being investigated, it’s assumed that being overweight is linked to hearing loss because the circulatory system is affected. Additionally, loss of hearing is related to high blood pressure and diabetes which are known to be associated with obesity.
The inner ears are filled with little hairs that detect sound in the ear. These hairs, called stereocilia, require a steady flow of blood and oxygen to function properly. Due to obesity, the blood flow is restricted throughout the body since the heart must work extra hard to get the blood flowing throughout the body, which means that there is not enough blood flow available to your ear. This can permanently injury the ears. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes affect the inner ear in the same manner, since all of these illnesses negatively effects your blood flow.
It’s extremely worthwhile to keep your weight under control as you get older since age-related hearing loss is also connected to a high fat mass index. In the past, your body’s metabolism worked more efficiently and faster, which is the reason why you should try to create healthy habits when you’re younger and stay with those habits as the years go by.
Your ears and your overall health are helped by a healthy diet.
Treatment Options For Obesity-Associated Loss of Hearing
If your loss of hearing is caused by obesity, you may never be capable of getting it back, still, it’s always good to get your hearing examined to find out the scope of your loss of hearing. If you have permanent damage, you might require a hearing aid or other device to start hearing correctly again.
If the injury is only slight, you might need to see your physician about developing an exercise and diet strategy to reduce the impact your weight has on your health before it gets any worse. Your doctor should recommend a cardio intensive exercise program that will get your blood pumping and improve your general health. There will be, most likely, other improvements in your life as well, like mental health, since regular exercise has been proven to lessen depression.
How Can You Prevent Obesity-Related Hearing Loss
A nutritious diet and a consistent exercise campaign are crucial to controlling obesity-related problems including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. staying healthy can also help keep your ears in superior shape. A program that can help you reach your goals and that is individualized for you can be specially designed by a nutritionist. The nutritionist can make sure you’re consuming the right mixture of nutrients in nutritious foods, such as foods that are high in iron, because of course, a lack of iron in your diet can exacerbate your hearing loss and result in tinnitus.
Discover more concerning hearing loss and how you can hear better with the appropriate treatment.