Fort Wayne Audiology: Diabetes in Hearing and Balance Care

Today I'll review the pathophysiology of diabetes on the cochlea and the vestibular canals, as well as on the neural system. The result is a disruption in the perception of hearing and in balance, which increases risk of falls. I'll explain how Fort Wayne Audiology Center will ensure the best patient outcomes for diabetes care.

Fort Wayne Audiology Center

Diabetes in the Body

What is happening in the body with diabetes? Keep in mind that what is happening in the cochlea and the vestibular system is also happening throughout the body when someone has diabetes. Diabetes causes microangiopathy, or small blood vessel disease (SMD). With small vessel disease, blood vessels weaken and slow the flow of blood through the body. This may lead to organ and tissue damage and result in loss of function or diabetic neuropathy.

When you look at the effect of diabetes on the cochlea, there's a disruption in the microvascular system as well as neural degeneration. The VIIIth cranial nerve innervates both the cochlea and the vestibular system. Diabetes affects the neural system, not just for the ear and balance system, but throughout the body.

Diabetes and Hearing Loss

With diabetes, a person has high blood glucose that damages the inner ear due to microangiopathy, or small vessel disease. The mechanism of damage is similar to the way that diabetes can damage other organs such as the eyes and the kidneys. Small blood vessels are throughout the ear including the inner ear and the vestibular system. Even the eardrum includes a network of small blood vessels.

In the ears, the small blood vessels may grow new tendrils in the ear and in the vestibular system, or leak blood into the endolymph and the perilymph of the cochlea. Endolymph and perilymph have chemical compositions that actually help aid the synapses to send the sound signal along the neural pathway to the brain. When blood is mixed into this space there is an effect on hearing. Uncontrolled diabetes has a very significant impact and there is a lot of research on this issue when it comes to hearing and balance.

Fort Wayne Audiology Center

Educate Yourself About Diabetes

Educate yourself about diabetes. Know the ABCs of diabetes. Know what A1C is. Know how it is important to control blood pressure, control cholesterol, and to stop smoking. Fort Wayne Audiology Center is always ready for your help.

Fort Wayne Audiology Center


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