Does disease affect hearing loss?

• May 24, 2024
• Written By Digibionic India

Cardiovascular disease, commonly caused by atherosclerosis, leads to the blockage of blood vessels and poor blood circulation, resulting in various conditions such as heart disease and related issues like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and heart valve disease. In severe cases, it can lead to death.

Before delving into the relationship between cardiovascular disease and hearing, let’s first grasp the fundamentals of hearing. When sound waves enter the ear, they are filtered, amplified, and travel down the ear canal to strike the eardrum, situated in the outer ear.

Behind the eardrum lies the “middle ear,” which contains three ear bones: the malleus, incus, and stapes. When the eardrum vibrates, it sets off vibrations in the connected malleus. These vibrations are then transmitted to the incus and onward to the stirrup bone. The stirrup bone drives the oval window, which is located behind it.

The primary function of the three ear bones is to facilitate the transfer of sound waves from the larger eardrum to the smaller oval window. This process involves the conversion of energy, sound, and vibrations from the stapes bone into transmitted vibrations.

Moving further inward, the cochlea, filled with fluid, receives these vibrations. Eventually, the vibrations of the liquid are converted into electrical energy.

The hair cells in the Organ of Corti within the cochlea innervate nerves, generating “sound signals” that the human body can transmit and perceive.

In the cochlea of the inner ear, tiny hair cells depend on good blood circulation to receive nutrients and convert collected vibrations into electrical potential signals for nerve impulse conduction and brain perception.

Poor blood circulation can lead to damage to these hair cells due to oxygen deficiency, as they do not regenerate, resulting in permanent hearing loss. Conditions such as coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis can also lead to certain types of tinnitus, characterized by sounds resembling heartbeat and blood flow.

Medically termed “pulsatile tinnitus,” this condition typically affects one side and is more common in females than males. If pulsatile tinnitus is suspected, it is essential to arrange for an MRI or computed tomography scan to assess the condition of the blood vessels and bones in the ear to determine the underlying cause of the patient’s symptoms.

A stroke is a sudden abnormality affecting part or all of the brain, typically caused by cerebral occlusion or rupture of blood vessels in the brain, resulting in damage or death of brain tissue due to compression or inadequate blood flow. When a stroke occurs in areas related to hearing and balance, it can lead to symptoms such as hearing loss or dizziness.

Furthermore, a second study conducted in 2016 revealed that stroke patients were five times more likely to experience sudden hearing loss compared to individuals who had not experienced a stroke. This suggests that stroke is a significant predictor of sudden hearing loss, along with cardiovascular disease.

Various high-risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, genetics, diabetes, obesity, and aging can also contribute to hearing loss.

High blood sugar resulting from diabetes can affect the endothelial cell pattern in small blood vessels, hindering the nerves’ ability to receive necessary nutrients and causing them to lose their original function. If this condition occurs in the hair cells of the inner ear, it can lead not only to hearing loss but also to decreased balance, increasing the likelihood of frequent falls.

Given these factors, it’s evident that cardiovascular disease and hearing loss are closely linked. Therefore, if your relatives or friends have such conditions, it’s advisable to monitor their hearing status every six months if hearing loss is suspected.

It’s recommended to schedule a hearing test at the hospital’s ear, nose, and throat department and to seek early treatment or consider wearing appropriate hearing aids if necessary. Hearing aids can help preserve communication skills and maintain quality of life.