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 isn’t 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 (high blood pressure) 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.

The study concluded that high blood pressure can accelerate hearing loss, and because hearing loss affects a person’s quality of life so dramatically, it is important that people with high blood pressure get their hearing checked by a doctor of audiology to ensure that their hearing isn’t affected by their hypertension.

Blood Pressure Checks and Hearing Tests Go Together

If you know someone with high blood pressure, get them to doctor of audiology today. If you know someone with hearing loss, make sure they are also checking their blood pressure. The two conditions often go hand-in-hand, and recognizing the connection could save someone’s hearing – or their life.

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