Chronically high blood sugar can weaken the blood vessels of the ear as well as damage the nerve cells in the inner ear. Once they are damaged or die, hearing is permanently affected.

Diabetes and hearing loss are two of America’s most widespread health concerns,” the ADA explains. People with diabetes are more than twice as likely to have mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss than those without the disease regardless of their age. Diabetes also causes balance problems. High level of sugar in blood also damages small blood vessels in your inner ear and your vestibular system, which is the part of your inner ear that helps with balance. Once you have balance problems, you are at high risk of accidental falls. Hearing loss is common in diabetes, but treatable.