How Weight Gain Impacts Your Hearing

With excess weight gain comes obesity, which causes several health issues, an undisputed fact.

People who are overweight have a high risk for suffering from conditions like:

• Osteoarthritis
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Some types of cancers like gallbladder cancer
• Mental illnesses like anxiety
• Gallbladder disease

Adding on a few extra pounds may also affect your hearing in the long run.

How? You may ask.

Relationship Between Obesity and Hearing Loss

The effect of obesity on your circulatory system is what causes hearing loss. High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes are links to hearing loss. These conditions affect your inner ear because they restrict the body’s optimal flow of blood and oxygen. Your ears detect sound through the inner hairs called stereocilia. These hairs require steady blood and oxygen circulation to function correctly.

Obesity restricts blood flow because the heart works harder to pump blood throughout the body. This means that stereocilia receive less blood and oxygen and will operate with less than the optimal flow of blood. This will gradually damage your hair cells, and once damaged, you cannot regenerate them. This damage in your ear will be permanent.

It's essential to stick with healthy eating habits to keep your weight in check. A healthy diet combined with a regular exercise routine is vital for your general body health and ear health.

High blood pressure causes a ringing in your ears called tinnitus which also causes hearing loss.

Treatment Options for Hearing Loss

Chances of recovering from hearing loss are minimal regardless of the cause of hearing loss. It would be best if you visited an audiologist to evaluate your hearing. Depending on how extensive your hearing loss is, the audiologist will advise you accordingly. They might recommend a hearing aid if the damage is irreversible or a diet change and exercises you can do to minimize the effects of weight gain on your overall health if hearing loss is minor.

Hearing Aid Styles

There are different hearing aid styles to choose from. Such as in the ear (ITE), behind the ear (BTE) and in the canal (ITC). These are the three main styles that are recommended.

Choosing Hearing Aids

With the help of an audiologist, you can find the style that best suits you. Your audiologist will recommend a hearing aid style depending on your hearing loss level, budget and lifestyle needs as well as your aesthetic preferences.

Although hearing aids will not restore your normal hearing, they will amplify soft sounds, thus improving your hearing.

How To Prevent Hearing Loss Caused by Obesity

An unhealthy diet is the biggest enemy of your general health. The best way to start a clean eating regime is to consult a nutritionist who will advise you on the correct food mix and essential nutrients to incorporate into your diet to stay healthy. For example, iron helps combat hearing loss and tinnitus. 

The nutritionist will advise on the foods with high iron levels and other nutrients your body requires to correct hearing loss.

In addition, they will give you an eating strategy tailored specifically for your needs and the goals you have set for a clean and healthy eating regime.

A regular exercise routine will go a long way in keeping you in good shape. Incorporate high cardio exercises into your program. Cardio exercises will improve your heart's ability to pump blood.

Call To Action

Find out more on hearing loss on Hinderliter Hearing Services or call 248-430-8425. We will help you with taking the right steps, and also help you find the right hearing aids for your needs.