Osteoporosis Linked to Temporary Hearing Loss
Osteoporosis linked to temporary hearing loss, a Taiwanese study shows.
A research team from Chi Mei Medical Center in Tainan City, analyzed data on over 10,000 Taiwan residents who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis between 1999 and 2008, and compared it to data on 32,000 adults without osteoporosis.
Researchers found that by 2011, those with osteoporosis had a 76% risk of hearing loss, with the rapid loss of hearing occurring in only one ear. The hearing loss occured either all at once or over a few days and was temporary. Almost 85% of people who were treated for the hearing loss were able to recover their hearing, at least partially.
Lead author, Dr. Kai-Jen Tien, says that osteoporosis patients must seek treatment immediately if they experience any hearing loss. Although, he is not sure what the connection is between the bone disease and hearing, several studies have shown that osteoporosis affects not just bones but also cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Osteoporosis is an age-related bone disease, where bones become weak and brittle, increasing the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures annually, with an osteoporotic fracture occurring every 3 seconds.
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