Listen Up! 11 Surprising Things That Could Ruin Your Hearing

Blood-related conditions

Types 1 and 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol affect almost every cell in the body—including the ears. Vibrations from tiny hair cells in your ears send your brain messages about what you’re hearing, but those cells need proper blood flow. “All those hair cells are fed nutrients by tiny little capillaries,” says Craig A. Kasper, AuD, FAAA, chief audiology officer of New York Hearing Doctors. “If there’s any problem with blood flow, you’re not going to get those hair cells to grow.” Diabetics, for instance, are twice as likely to experience hearing loss than the rest of the population is, he says. Don’t miss these science-backed ways to reverse diabetes.