Are you aware that your risk of developing age-related hearing loss can be increased if you have high blood pressure?
Age-related hearing loss usually starts to manifest in your 40s, 50s, or 60s. You probably won’t even detect your developing hearing loss even though it’s a permanent condition. Typically, it’s the result of many years of noise-related damage. So how does hypertension lead to hearing loss? The answer is that high blood pressure can cause extensive damage to your blood vessels, including those in your ears.
What is blood pressure (and why does it matter?)
Blood pressure is a measure of how rapidly blood flows through your circulatory system. When the blood moves quicker than normal it means you have high blood pressure. Over time, this can lead to damage to your blood vessels. These blood vessels that have been damaged lose their flexibility and often become blocked. Cardiovascular issues, like a stroke, can be the consequence of these blockages. That’s one reason why healthcare professionals often pay close attention to your blood pressure.
So, what is regarded as high blood pressure?
The general ratings for blood pressure include the following:
- Normal: 120/8o
- Stage 1 Hypertension: 130-139/80-89
- Stage 2 Hypertension: 140 or Higher/90 or higher
When your blood pressure gets as high as 180/120, it’s considered a hypertensive crisis. This kind of event should be treated immediately.
How can hypertension cause hearing loss?
Hypertension can cause widespread damage to your blood vessels, including the blood vessels inside of your ear. Typically, the nerves in your ear will also be damaged along with these blood vessels. Additionally, high blood pressure can negatively impact the stereocilia in your ear (the tiny hairs responsible for sensing vibrations). When these stereocilia get damaged, they don’t regenerate, so any damage is effectively irreversible.
This means that damage to the ears, regardless of the cause, can cause permanent hearing loss. Studies found that those with healthy blood pressure readings tend to have a far lower prevalence of hearing loss. People who have hearing loss are more likely to have higher blood pressure. The effects of hearing loss, in other words, can be decreased by keeping blood pressure under control.
What does high blood pressure make your ears feel like?
In most cases, high blood pressure is a symptomless condition. High blood pressure doesn’t cause “hot ears”. What are hot ears? It’s a symptom in which your ears feel warm and get red. Hot ears are usually caused by changes in blood flow due to hormonal, emotional, and other issues not related to blood pressure.
High blood pressure can sometimes exacerbate symptoms of tinnitus. But if your tinnitus was being caused by high blood pressure, how could you tell? The only way to tell for sure is to talk to your doctor. In general, however, tinnitus isn’t a sign of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is sometimes called “the silent killer” for a good reason.
Typically, it’s not until you have your vitals taken at your annual exam that high blood pressure is detected. This is one good reason to make sure you go to your yearly appointments.
How can you lower your blood pressure?
Usually, there are various factors that contribute to high blood pressure. That’s why lowering blood pressure might call for a variety of approaches. In general, you should talk with your primary care doctor to lower your blood pressure. That management might look like the following:
- Avoid sodium: Keep the sodium intake to a minimum. Find lower salt alternatives when possible (or avoid processed foods when possible).
- Get more exercise: Exercising regularly (or simply getting your body moving on a regular basis) can help reduce your overall blood pressure.
- Take medication as prescribed: Sometimes, no amount of diet and exercise can prevent or successfully treat high blood pressure. Even though diet and exercise can be helpful, there are some cases where it will be necessary to take blood pressure medication as prescribed to manage hypertension.
- Diet changes: Eating a Mediterranean diet can help you reduce blood pressure. Essentially, avoid foods like red meats and eat more vegetables and fruits.
You and your primary care provider will develop a treatment plan to address your blood pressure. Can hearing loss from high blood pressure be reversed? In some cases the answer is yes and in others not so much. There is some evidence to suggest that lowering your blood pressure can help revive your hearing, at least in part. But it’s also likely that at least some of the harm incurred will be irreversible.
Your hearing will have a better possibility of recuperating if you address your blood pressure promptly.
How to safeguard your hearing
While lowering your blood pressure can definitely be good for your health (and your hearing), there are other ways you can protect your hearing. This could include:
- Wear hearing protection: You can safeguard your hearing by using earplugs, earmuffs, or noise canceling headphones.
- Avoiding loud venues and events: Loud sounds should be avoided because they can cause damage. If you really need to be in an environment with overly loud noise, at least minimize your exposure time.
- Talk to us: Any existing hearing loss can be maintained and early detection will be possible by getting regular hearing screenings.
If you have high blood pressure and are noticing symptoms of hearing loss, make sure to book an appointment with us so we can help you manage your hearing loss and safeguard your hearing health.