It’s well understood, that over longer periods of time, eating way too much will be harmful to your health. There are quite a few health conditions that are connected to obesity. Heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and you can put hearing on the list, as well. It’s calculated that around 48 million people in the U.S., hearing loss is a problem for around 20% of the U.S population, and nearly twice that number of adults, 93 million, are obese. These numbers are staggering and point to a serious health issue throughout the country.
How Is Obesity Connected to Loss of Hearing?
Various studies have shown that hearing loss and obesity have a relationship. Precisely what that link is, is still being studied, it’s believed that hearing loss and obesity have a connection because the circulatory system is affected. Additionally, hearing loss is connected to high blood pressure and diabetes which are known to be associated with being overweight.
Sound in the ear is detected by small hairs inside the inner ear. So that they can function correctly, these tiny hairs, called stereocilia, require a steady blood flow. Obesity confines the flow of blood throughout the body since the heart must work harder to get the blood flowing around the body, which means that there is not enough blood flow available to your ear. This can permanently harm the ears. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes affect the inner ear in the same way, as each of these conditions adversely impacts your circulation.
Keeping your weight under control is especially important as you age since age-related hearing loss and high-fat mass index are also connected. Your body’s metabolism doesn’t work as fast or as well as it once did, which is the reason why you should try to formulate good habits when you’re younger and stay to those habits as you age.
Your ears and your overall health are benefited by a healthy diet.
Treatment Options For Obesity-Related Hearing Loss
It’s feasible that you might not be able to recover your lost hearing if it’s triggered by obesity, still, in order to figure out how considerable your loss of hearing is, it’s important to have your ears evaluated. If the injury is permanent, you may require a hearing aid or other device to begin hearing correctly again.
If the damage is only slight, you might have considered trying to consult your doctor before your health worsens, about creating an exercise and diet plan to minimize the impact your weight has on your well being. Your doctor should prescribe a cardio intensive exercise program that will strengthen your general health and get your blood pumping. You will most likely find that other areas of your life also improve, mental health, for example, since day to day exercise has been proven to decrease depression.
How Can You Avoid Obesity-Related Hearing Loss
Diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure Your ears will definitely be kept in superior condition if you keep your body healthy. A plan that can assist you to reach your goals and that is individualized for you can be developed by a nutritionist. The nutritionist can make sure you’re eating healthy foods with the correct blend of nutrients, foods that have plenty of iron, for instance, because of course, a lack of iron in your diet can exacerbate your loss of hearing and trigger tinnitus.
Learn more regarding hearing loss and the treatment options available to help you hear better.