Side Effects Are Unpredictable
Just because you need to take one of these medications doesn’t always mean you will lose your sense of hearing. Everyone reacts to medications differently, and side effects can range from temporary tinnitus and hearing loss to permanent hearing damage. Or, in some cases, it could mean no hearing loss at all. It’s best to be prepared with questions for your physician about hearing concerns. If they are prescribing these medications, it’s because you have a health condition that requires it and your hearing health is a secondary concern.
Complications Following Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden hearing loss may result in various complications that reduce hearing capacity. There is always the risk of hearing impairment or even complete deafness. Depending on individual circumstances, these can be of short-term or permanent. A possible long-term effect is the development of tinnitus after sudden hearing loss. This can be expressed in various tones and be accompanied by a permanent feeling of pressure in the ear. In some cases, sudden hearing loss is followed by a feeling of internal restlessness and a racing heartbeat.
Which individual circumstances can lead to sudden hearing loss?The exact causes of sudden hearing loss are unknown, although there are some theories deemed probable by ENT medicine. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the inner ears circulation is reduced during sudden hearing loss. One particular trigger is stress. A hectic environment or severe time pressure at work could lead to circulatory disorders, potentially leading to sudden hearing loss.
Stress Could Lead To Hearing Loss
My Hearing Centers Hearing Loss
No one wants to live with stress. We know it causes a host of other problems, from keeping us up at night and losing sleep, to interfering with performance at work, and damaging family relationships. What you might not know is that stress and hypertension are also linked to hearing loss.
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What Is The Role Of Blood Pressure In The Body
The reason you have blood pressure at all is because your heart pumps blood through your blood vessels to reach all of your organs, literally from head to toe.
The underlying physics is complicated, but without going into too much detail, the more blood you pump and the smaller the tube you pump it through, then the higher your blood pressure.
You may know that a doctor will give you two blood pressure readings, for example 120 over 80 written as 120/80. The bigger number is the systolic and the smaller number the diastolic pressure.
The higher systolic pressure is a result of your heart pumping, therefore pushing a higher volume of blood through your blood vessels. The lower, diastolic pressure is a result of your heart relaxing, and therefore less volume flows through the vessels.
Joy Victory Managing Editor Healthy Hearing
Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public.Read more about Joy.
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‘hearing Loss Is Related To Cardiovascular Disease’
Charles E. Bishop, AuD, Assistant Professor in the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, encourages Americans to take cardiovascular disease seriously, both for it’s life-threatening effects and impact on all areas of life, including hearing health.
“Hearing health should not be assessed in a vacuum,” said Bishop. “There is simply too much evidence that hearing loss is related to cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. It’s time we maximized the information we have in order to benefit the individual’s overall well-being.”
How Hearing Loss And Heart Disease Are Linked
Contributed by Debbie Clason, staff writer, Healthy HearingLast updated October 28, 20202020-10-28T00:00:00-05:00
Heart disease is a top cause of death for both men and women. But did you also know that heart disease is linked to hearing loss? A healthy cardiovascular system, researchers have discovered, is healthy for the auditory system, too.
Heart health plays a role in your hearingability.
According to the Centers for Disease Control , heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, killing nearly 610,000 people every year in the United States.
Most heart disease is linked to blood vessel damage from high blood pressure and/or stiffened, narrowed arteries from high cholesterol. These problems can cause blockages, spasms or ruptures of both major or minor vessels, leading to chest pain, a heart attack or stroke. In other cases, disorders of the hearts muscles, valves or rhythm lead to other types of heart disease, such as heart failure.
“An alarming number of Americans dont understand how serious the threat of heart disease is to them personally, or how closely intertwined it is with other health conditions, such as hearing health. We urge women and men alike to know their risks and to take action today to protect their heart and hearing health.
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What Does Cardiovascular Disease Mean
Cardiovascular disease is usually defined as a disease that affects the heart or blood vessels. If your heart muscles arent working properly or blood flow in your veins and arteries is limited, then it can be considered a cardiovascular disease. This is often known as hypertension or prehypertension if your blood pressure is above the norm but not elevated.
Hypertension affects around 70 million adults in the United States, making it one of the most common conditions. Since cardiovascular disease is related to hearing loss, it also means that many people in this group are also affected by hearing loss.
Can Low Blood Pressure Cause Hearing Loss
In short, no. Day-to-day low blood pressure does not generally cause hearing loss but it has been known to happen in specific situations.1
Some research has shown that hypotension and sensorineural hearing loss were related, but only a very small percentage of the people with low blood pressure who took part were found to have hearing loss.
Earlier studies have suggested that sudden low blood pressure can lead to cochlear damage.2 There hasnt been much research into this area since the beginning of the 2000s, but in 2020 a paediatric study concluded that low blood pressure in extremely low birth-weight infants in the first 24 hours of life put them at increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss.3
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The Symptoms Of Sudden Hearing Loss
Ear pressure and/or tinnitus are the first signs of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Symptoms usually occur at once or after a few days, usually in one ear. The severity of the symptoms may vary significantly. In worst case scenarios, permanent deafness may be possible.
The symptoms for sudden hearing loss include: Occurrence of hearing loss without a recognizable cause The absence of earache Hearing loss in one ear only
The accompanying symptoms include: Loss of sensation in the outer ear Ear pressure
Whats The Link Between Hypertension And Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors, but its clear that high blood pressure is one of the biggest contributing factors. Recent studies have shown that there is a correlation between patients with hypertension and hearing loss. In a study by Dr. Mohan Jagade, a physician in the Department of ENT and head and neck surgery at Grant Medical College and J.J. Hospital, it was revealed that people with elevated blood pressure also experienced a significant increase in hearing loss.
A total of 274 individuals between the ages of 45-64 were evaluated, making it a fairly large sample size that pointed to this discovery. The researchers concluded that hypertension is an accelerating factor in the rate at which our hearing system deteriorates as we age.
The link between hypertension and hearing loss is rather simple to explain. When you have high blood pressure, your blood vessels are damaged. This damage happens across the entire body and not just a single spot or area of your body. This means it can also affect your ears, resulting in the buildup of a fatty plaque that could cause hearing loss.
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Results Of A Recent Study
A recent study demonstrated a significant association between hearing loss and high blood pressure. They studied 274 patients between the ages of 45-64. Researchers found a direct correlation between the presence of high blood pressure and hearing loss. Additionally, the researchers found that additional hearing loss could be prevented by bringing a patients blood pressure under control.
The Connection Between Hearing Loss And High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease, which affects nearly 70 million adults in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This adds up to one in three adults! In addition to people with hypertension, the CDC states that one in three adults is living with elevated blood pressure or prehypertension. Prehypertension is not hypertension, but the blood pressure levels are above what is considered normal.
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against your blood vessel walls. When your blood pressure is taken, two numbers are noted. The top number is the systolic reading. This measures the pressure when your heart pushes blood out. The bottom number is the diastolic reading, which measures the pressure when your heart is relaxed between beats and is not pumping any blood. If the blood pressure is high, it means that your heart is pumping the blood through your arteries very fast. This excessive force causes damage to the smooth lining of blood vessel walls, resulting in areas where fatty plaque can build up and make a bump. The bump gets bigger as more plaque sticks to it. The long-term effect of this is that the blood vessels collect a significant amount of fatty plaque, which diminishes or stops blood flow. This can occur anywhere in the body. In some people, the plaque bump will rupture and cause a traveling blood clot.
What Causes Hypertension?
Staying Healthy
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What Is Sudden Hearing Loss
As the name implies, sudden hearing loss can occur suddenly or develop within a few hours. It is still unclear what exactly causes sudden hearing loss, and the medical world is searching for ways to better understand this phenomenon.
The effects of sudden hearing loss range from mild to severe depending on other health factors, and can potentially become a permanent condition. Sudden hearing loss may also occur together with tinnitus. We recommend that you consult a doctor immediately if you suspect that you are experiencing sudden hearing loss. If symptoms persist for an extended period of time, hearing aids can provide effective relief.
The Correlation Between High Blood Pressure And Hearing Loss
March 15, 2021 By Hearing Associates of Las Vegas
Most people know that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to various serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension or are taking medication for hypertension. Unfortunately, only about 1 in 4 adults with hypertension have their condition under control.
But many people are surprised to discover that this common condition can also cause hearing loss, and in some cases, hearing loss is a warning sign that could potentially save your life.
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Tinnitus And Hearing Loss
Many studies have linked stress to tinnitus, both as a cause and as a symptom. Tinnitus is the experience of hearing noises without an external stimulus, such as ringing, buzzing, or whistling, and these can be unsettling, annoying, or even painful. Tinnitus is often an early warning sign of hearing loss. A study by S. Herbert found that approximately 53% of those with tinnitus said their symptoms started at a stressful period of their lives, or got significantly worse at a stressful time. Its a vicious cycle, as stress causes tinnitus which causes more stress which causes even more tinnitus. In most cases, more stress equals more tinnitus.
High Blood Pressure And Your Hearing Health
Your ears are a delicate system. They rely on a network of blood vessels and delicate hairs to help you hear. When one element of this system is damaged, it can affect your ability to hear.
High blood pressure can affect blood vessels throughout your body, including your ears. Research has linked increased rates of hearing loss in individuals with hypertension. One study, published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information found the existence of an association between hearing loss and arterial hypertension in individuals aged between 45 and 64 years.
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Aspirin And Other Medications
Some 200 prescription and over-the-counter medications can damage hearing, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Some, like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications, cause temporary hearing loss that goes away once you stop taking them. Others, like certain antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer, can cause permanent damage.
What to do. If you take specific medications regularly, even over-the-counter pain relievers, ask your doctor or pharmacist if they can affect hearing. There may be alternative medication that wont cause harm to your ears.
Hbp Can Harm Your Eyesight In Many Ways
Your eyes contain many tiny blood vessels. When subjected to the long-term effects of high blood pressure , the following conditions can develop:
- Blood vessel damage A lack of blood flow to the retina leads to blurred vision or the complete loss of sight. People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at an even greater risk for developing this condition. Managing blood pressure is also the only way to treat hypertensive retinopathy.
- Fluid buildup under the retina This buildup of fluid under the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball, results in distorted vision or, in some cases, scarring that impairs vision.
- Nerve damage The result of blocked blood flow that damages the optic nerve, it can kill nerve cells in your eyes, which may cause temporary or permanent vision loss.
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Surprising Causes Of Hearing Loss
by Peter JaretHealth Writer
Hearing experts have trumpeted the warning loud and clear: Too much noise, over time, can permanently damage your hearing. But rock n roll and jackhammers arent the only threats to your ears.
New research has identified other unexpected hazards to hearing, from contaminants to common medical conditions.
Knowing the risks, and what you can do to avoid them, is critical, especially as you get older, says Lee Akst, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Voice Center and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
One in four adults shows signs of noise-induced hearing loss, according to a report published in February 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And hearing loss typically gets worse with age.
Nearly one in four people ages 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss, defined as a hearing loss of 35 decibels or more in their better ear, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Thats the level at which adults could generally benefit from a hearing aid. The number climbs to 50 percent in people 75 and up.
There was a time when being hard of hearing was considered an inevitable part of aging. But we now know that while many people experience significant hearing loss as they age, others dont, Akst says. There are probably many reasons, including genetics and lifestyle.
Book Hearing Test & Blood Pressure Check
If you know you have high blood pressure, then its important you book a consultation with a licensed hearing care professional and tell them of your diagnosis. Likewise, if you have become aware that you are experiencing some hearing loss or symptoms of tinnitus, make sure you get your blood pressure checked as soon as possible.
Hearing loss and tinnitus can be life-changing and lead to a number of serious mental and physical health concerns. Keeping your blood pressure under control is not only important for reducing your risks of having a stroke or heart attack in the future, but it can also protect your hearing health, too.
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The Connection Between High Blood Pressure And Hearing Loss
Find out how high blood pressure can affect your hearing, and whether treatment can reverse the effects. A recent study provides compelling evidence.
Hypertension and Hearing Loss
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease, and can also contribute to hearing loss. The link between high blood pressure and impaired hearing is easy to understand.
How Does High Blood Pressure Lead to Hearing Loss?
When your blood pressure is high, the blood pushes through your arteries very fast, which can damage the lining of artery walls, allowing fatty plaque to build up. This damage and plaque build-up isnt centered in one area of the body your entire body is affected, including your ears. And when the blood vessels in your ears are damaged and have a fatty plaque buildup your hearing could be impaired.
As Blood Pressure Goes Up, Hearing Goes Down
A recent study demonstrated a clear link between hypertension and hearing loss. The study included 274 patients between the ages of 45-64, and found that as blood pressure increased, hearing diminished. They also found that as blood pressure was brought under control, hearing could be restored.
Blood Pressure Checks and Hearing Tests Go Together
Avoid These Things To Reduce The Ringing
There are some things that are known to cause or worsen tinnitus symptoms and these are the things you should steer clear of. One of the most prevalent things that worsen tinnitus is loud noises. Try to avoid using headphones, and if you are exposed to noise at work or at home, get some high-quality earplugs to minimize the damage.
Some medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even high doses of aspirin can worsen the ringing so consult your doctor. Make certain you speak with your doctor before you stop taking your medication.
Here are some other typical causes:
- high blood pressure
- excessive earwax
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