A Link Between Hearing Loss & Osteoporosis

Hearing loss has been connected with a wide range of other health conditions. In some cases, we know a lot about how the conditions relate. For instance, brain imaging has made it possible to witness the process of communication for a person with hearing loss and a person without hearing loss. Scientists are able to use these technologies to watch the differences between these two types of auditory processing, and they have learned a lot about potential connections with cognitive decline and even dementia.

In other cases, the connections are not as clear. When we look at the raw statistics, we can see that some people are more likely to have hearing loss than others. One of the ways to look at this connection is the group of people with osteoporosis and low bone density. When you compare their rates with those who do not have these conditions, they show up to 40 percent higher rates of hearing loss.

With this fact in mind, experts are tasked with trying to understand more about how the conditions are connected in the body. When that mechanism is better understood, we can pursue preventative measures for both of these health concerns.

How are these conditions connected?

Many physical health conditions are related to hearing loss. Some have to do with the cardiovascular system, and these can be the easiest to understand on a physiological level. When the cochlea of the ears are deprived of oxygen-rich blood, they don’t have what they need to function. This deprivation, whether due to cardiovascular disease, smoking, or diabetes, can lead to permanent damage to the tiny hairlike organelles of the inner ear called stereocilia. However, osteoporosis has no direct relationship with this oxygenated blood. How are the two connected, then?

Researchers continue to explore this question, but they theorize the bone that protects the nerves and structures involved in hearing might be the key. A person with osteoporosis undergoes abnormal bone remodeling and changes in the pathways involved in maintaining bone homeostasis that might affect this bone in the ear. These osteoporosis-related processes might alter ion and fluid metabolism in the cochlea, as well. As researchers work to understand how these conditions are related, it’s important to think about the effects of some of the main osteoporosis treatments, as well.

Can osteoporosis treatment prevent hearing loss?

A recent study took a look at one of the main drugs prescribed to people with osteoporosis. The biggest category of osteoporosis treatment pharmaceuticals are called bisphosphonates. These drugs can be effective to prevent breaks among those who have osteoporosis, and researchers were curious if they could prevent hearing loss, as well. According to the main theory about the connection between osteoporosis and hearing loss, the bones protecting the nerves in the ear were more likely to break. Although bisphosphonates might help protect these bones, the recent study did not find a significant effect on hearing loss. Those who took bisphosphonates were statistically just as likely to develop hearing loss as those who did not take this line of treatment.

What can I do to prevent these conditions?

When it comes to preventing hearing loss, reducing noise exposure is one of the best things you can do. When you wear hearing protection in loud settings and limit the time of exposure to these sounds, you might be preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Taking care with your use of recreational sound devices such as earbuds and headphones can be effective, as well.

However, these tactics are not enough to prevent the relationship between osteoporosis and hearing loss. Some of the important ways to prevent osteoporosis have to do with diet and nutrition. Particularly for those who have a higher likelihood of low bone density, such as middle-aged and older women, getting enough calcium seems to be a key to health. Getting regular bone density scans can also alert your medical team to the risk of osteoporosis before it gets out of hand.

If you are concerned about these conditions, you can talk to your doctor about your likelihood of developing osteoporosis, but a hearing test is the best way to get a thorough diagnosis of your hearing ability.