Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that is associated with declining bone density and fractures, has recently been linked with “sudden onset hearing loss.” This type of hearing loss, which usually occurs in one ear, either all at once or over a period of a few days, is usually “idiopathic” (meaning the cause is never known). However, this new finding that those with osteoporosis are 76 percent more likely to develop sudden onset hearing loss may help explain the cause of some cases. While the study does not prove a definite cause-and-effect relationship between osteoporosis and sudden onset hearing loss, it is thought that inflammation and/or mineral loss in the three tiny bones of the middle ear may play a role. Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that is associated with declining bone density and fractures, has recently been linked with “sudden onset hearing loss.” This type of hearing loss, which usually occurs in one ear, either all at once or over a period of a few days, is usually “idiopathic” (meaning the cause is never known). However, this new finding that those with osteoporosis are 76 percent more likely to develop sudden onset hearing loss may help explain the cause of some cases. While the study does not prove a definite cause-and-effect relationship between osteoporosis and sudden onset hearing loss, it is thought that inflammation and/or mineral loss in the three tiny bones of the middle ear may play a role.
It is important that people who have osteoporosis stay vigilant in caring for their hearing. If you’d like to learn more, see your hearing health provider. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We perform hearing tests, fit patients for hearing aids, and provide one-on-one consultations, among our other services. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. The three tiny bones (“ossicles”) of the inner ear, the “malleus,” “incus,” and “stapes,” transmit sounds to the inner ear.
