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Hearing Professionals
Osteoporosis Increases Risk Of Hearing Loss
Hearing Professionals Inc.
. http://www.hearing-professionals.com/

Osteoporosis Increases Risk Of Hearing Loss

New research discovered that people who have osteoporosis have a 1.76 times higher risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss than those who do not have the bone disease.

A study published earlier this year in the Endocrine Society Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, examined medical records for 10,660 Taiwan residents who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis between 1999 and 2008, comparing them with 31,980 people who do not have the condition. Researchers concluded that people with osteoporosis are 1.76 times more likely to suffer sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Those who have osteoporosis and are aged 50 and older, female, or have hypertension are at an even greater risk of developing SSNHL.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is loss of hearing at one time or over several days that occurs in the inner ear (cochlea), or the auditory nerve. About 85% of people who develop this type of sudden hearing loss will recover some or all of their hearing.

The link between osteoporosis and SSNHL is unclear, according to the study. One of the study's authors said, “A growing body of evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects not only bone health, but the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Our findings suggest sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can be another broader health problem connected to osteoporosis.”

As the disease affects one's bones it can negatively impact one's hearing via the three smallest bones in one's body the malleus, incus and stapes. Osteoporosis-related fractures and breaks most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine, but any bones are susceptible including the bones in the ear. These three bones, or osscicles, located behind the eardrum help push sound into the inner ear.

Keep in mind, there are other conditions that can affect these three tiny bones, such as otosclerosis, which causes the bones to become spongy and negatively impacts how they send sound through the ear. If these bones aren't functioning properly for any reason, it may result in hearing loss.

Hearing tests are not yet a regular part of medical monitoring for people with osteoporosis, causing many people to go without treatment for their hearing impairment. If you have osteoporosis, request that your hearing be regularly assessed with an annual hearing test or sooner if you feel like your hearing has changed.

If you are experiencing sudden hearing loss, it is important to seek medical treatment immediately.

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