Diabetes And Your Ear – When Prevention Is The Best Cure
Few modern-day diseases are as devastating and subtle in their development as diabetes. Given the fact that the pre-diabetic phase is seldom more than feelings of dizziness, nausea and fatigue, most victims are taken by surprise when diabetes develops into its more advanced stages, flooding the victim with complications, some of which can even be life-threatening in their potency. Thus, not surprisingly, a majority of diabetes-related deaths often result because of a misjudged or delayed diagnosis, which makes treatment a very difficult and long-drawn process.
High glucose levels, which are the hallmark of diabetes, are also fertile ground for a host of other diabetes related complications. The reason behind this lies in the thickening of the arteries this glucose-satiated blood leads to which impairs circulation, hampering the processes of oxidation and nourishment. Extremely high blood glucose also causes tremendous nerve damage which, in turn, impairs sensation and responsiveness to stimulus.
The vascular tissue plays a primary role in the auditory process, and when damaged by diabetes, brings about an immediate decline in the individual’s auditory capacity. The nerve damage that diabetes brings about is further amplified by the narrowness of the capillaries in this region, which causes severe micro-vascular damage to the inner ear. The outer ear is no exception to this diabetes-induced trauma, with the ear-cells responsible to magnifying sounds traced by the cochlea being gradually destroyed as diabetes continues to wreck havoc on the individual’s body.
The cochlea is located within the temporal lobe, which makes surgical examination imperative to detect any auditory damage. To gauge the extent of the diabetes-inflicted damage, your physician would also need to examine the neural pathways, which is only possible if advanced surgery is conducted.
External tests to estimate the extent of auditory damage are also misleading, as the loss of hearing which these tests discern may be a lot lower than the actual amount of damage diabetes has brought about. This questionable accuracy of clinical evaluation makes it even more difficult to deem the extent to which the hearing has been impaired and thus accord the appropriate medical treatment.
The auditory damage caused by diabetes also encompasses a deeper rooted stance where the functioning of the auditory nerve is affected, hindering the responsiveness of the brain to auditory signals relayed from the cochlea. And so, when an individual has to grapple with complex auditory patterns like speech, his brain finds it difficult to assimilate them, making communication an uphill and tedious process.
As with all other diabetes-related complications, the most effective way to curb auditory damage is by arresting it at its nascent phases by regularly testing for any loss of hearing. When consulting with your physician, make sure that you incorporate regular auditory testing as a part of your standard physical examinations. However, given the vast number of challenges that detecting this disease presents, preventing this condition from arising is indefinitely more effective than waiting for the complications to develop and then countering them one at a time. Endeavoring to keep a constant check on your blood glucose by adhering to the four diabetes principles of diet, exercise, medication and testing can go a long way in ensuring that these complications never raise their ugly heads. And so, if you haven’t begun already, take control of your diabetes today – the instant boost you give your health will speak volumes for itself in the years to follow!
