Could declining bone health put you at risk for hearing loss?

Yes. Data in the last decade has established a link between osteoporosis and a higher risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. The primary reason for this is due to the decline of the bone structures within the middle ear that play a key role in hearing.

And women are more at risk than men. To be more exact, in 2021 when researchers looked at 144,000 women who participated in the Nurses Health Study the risk of hearing loss was 40 percent higher in women with low bone density or osteoporosis.

How Bone Health Impacts Hearing Health

Osteoporosis occurs when bone is breaking down faster than the body can replace it, and it’s more common in Asian and white women. And one of the key reasons researchers believe there is a link between bone health and hearing health is that if the tiny bones that are involved in hearing experience demineralization (become weak), it’s possible the nerves and structures involved in hearing that they protect (the ones located within the cochlea) may be damaged or more susceptible to damage.

A study in 2015 also connected sudden hearing loss to osteoporosis and low bone density. A 2015 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism study showed that patients with osteoporosis were 1.76x more likely to develop sudden hearing loss vs patients without osteoporosis.  The study also found the incident rate for sudden hearing loss with osteoporosis was significantly greater in both female patients, and those who were aged 50 or older.

Tips for Avoiding Declining Bone Health

To help protect against a higher risk of hearing loss due to osteoporosis, it’s important to keep your bones as strong and healthy as possible. The NHS has some great recommendations to keep in mind, including:

1. Ensure you’re getting a proper intake of calcium and Vitamin D
2. Strength training (resistance exercises) is helpful to build and maintain bone density
3. Avoid smoking
4. Limit alcohol intake
5. Try to maintain a healthy body weight to avoid an increased risk of fractures

Should I Get My Hearing Checked If I Have Low Bone Density?

Yes! If you are struggling with lower bone density or osteoporosis, getting a regular hearing test is a good idea. Doing so can help you catch hearing loss before it becomes severe, and it could give you more options for treatment as well.

Plus, the earlier you can catch and treat hearing loss, the less likely you are to see as big of a negative impact on your life (including missing key words at work, strain on personal relationships, listening fatigue, and social isolation to name  few).  

Book a hearing test here today and we can discuss