Why Your Ears Love a Healthy Heart
Valentine’s Day is on its way, so your thoughts may turn to your relationships, which can provide meaning and support to your life. However, an important relationship you might not be aware of is the unique partnership within your body that helps keep your heart and hearing happy.
February is American Heart Month, and you probably know that having your heart stay as healthy as possible is in your best interest. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 610,000 people in the U.S. annually die from heart disease.1
But did you know that the state of your heart health can also affect your auditory system? It turns out that good blood flow helps you maintain your hearing, and damage to the blood vessels in your ears can result in hearing loss. One study of older adults in the U.S. found that those who had experienced heart failure were 11% more likely to have hearing loss.2
How Your Heart and Hearing Are Connected
Hearing involves several parts of your body, including the inner ear and the cochlea. The hair cells in the cochlea depend on proper blood flow to translate noises into electrical impulses that the brain processes into sound.
Inadequate circulation due to obstructions in your arteries and veins—symptoms of poor cardiovascular health—deprives the hair cells in the cochlea of oxygen, causing them to become damaged or destroyed. These cells do not grow back, so insufficient blood flow can lead to permanent hearing loss or even tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears.
Research supports this connection between the heart and the ears. A study of 1,600 patients with a history of cardiovascular disease showed they were 54% more likely to experience impaired cochlear function, further evidence of how essential blood flow is to good hearing.3
The Impact of Hearing Loss on Your Relationships
When you have hearing loss, your relationships can suffer. You likely miss out on hearing words your loved ones say, which can make it challenging to hear well wishes from your valentine. Those closest to you may feel as if you’re ignoring them, creating an unnecessary strain on your relationships.
One way you can protect your hearing and keep your relationships strong is by taking steps to keep your heart healthy, such as quitting smoking, eating healthier and maintaining the right blood pressure.
Another step to take to maintain strong bonds with others? Scheduling a hearing evaluation to detect and treat any hearing loss you may have as soon as possible, especially if you have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or are experiencing any trouble hearing.
Better hearing truly is the best gift you can give your loved ones this Valentine’s Day. It will allow you to be more present and engaged in every moment with them, strengthening your connections to the people who matter most in your life.
Ready to get started on your journey to improved hearing? Take the first step now by calling us at (318) 251-1572 (Ruston) or (318) 582-5317 (West Monroe) to schedule a comprehensive hearing evaluation. Our caring and compassionate audiology team can’t wait to meet you!
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 14). Heart disease facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
2 Sterling, M. R., Lin, F. R., Jannat-Khah, D. P., Goman, A. M., Echeverria, S. E., & Safford, M. M. (2018, March 1). Hearing loss among older adults with heart failure in the United States: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. JAMA otolaryngology– head & neck surgery. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5854543/
3 1 University of Wisconsin-Madison. (2002, April 30). Advances. https://news.wisc.edu/advances-45/
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