Hearing loss (presbycusis) is fairly common among people over the age of 50. Studies have indicated that age and kidney disease are two factors that can influence hearing loss. One study indicated that some degree of hearing loss was associated with 54 percent of people with moderate kidney disease. Of that 54 percent, 30 percent of them actually suffered from significant hearing loss. It is not suggested, in the study, that kidney disease actually causes loss of hearing; the study only states that there is a connection between hearing loss and kidney disease.
Statistics of hearing loss among people with kidney disease
The incidence of hearing loss among those with kidney disease is higher than the percentage of people in the general population, of people over 50, who suffers from hearing loss. Generally, the percentage of hearing loss in people over 50 without kidney problems is about 18 percent; this statistic comes from the National Institute on Deafness.
If you are an older person, diagnosed with kidney disease as your doctor about getting your hearing checked. Older individuals with moderate kidney disease should see a hearing doctor periodically to have their hearing acuity evaluated. The hearing doctor will decide on how often you should have your hearing checked. Most likely, a person would be monitored at least yearly.
It is vitally important for every older adult suffering from kidney disease to get his/her hearing checked. Presently, there are approximately 31 million adults living in the United States living in the US. Of this number, approximately 7.5 million people have hearing loss. Most people suffer from hearing loss and don’t even realize it. Many people can hear normal speech, but may not be able to hear soft speech and whispering. If you have kidney disease, and haven’t noticed any hearing loss, it is important to have your hearing checked anyway. Even if you are diagnosed with only minimal hearing loss, your hearing specialist can fit you with a hearing aid to maximize your hearing ability.
What causes hearing loss among people with kidney disease?
Kidney disease isn’t the cause of hearing loss. There are other factors at work that affect some people living with kidney disease. Sometimes, people with kidney disease also suffer from other types of syndromes. Other causes of hearing loss among people with kidney disease have to do with the medications that are taken to treat kidney disease. The side effects of several types of medications can cause loss of hearing.
Conclusion
Some medications used to treat kidney disease may be ototoxic to some people. Quite often, adults with some sort of kidney disease also have other health problems. There are approximately 200 medications that are sold by prescription and sold over-the-counter which are ototoxic. Ototoxicity can be experienced as tinnitus (ringing in the ears), problems with balance, and hearing loss.
