Preventive Measures Of Ringing In The Ear
You should be aware that loud music or headsets can cause hearing loss, ringing in your ears, or tinnitus. Too much exposure to these sounds over long periods of time could affect your ear health.
Hearing damage is caused by loud sounds, so try to limit your exposure to them. If you cannot avoid loud noises, be sure to protect yourself with sound-proofing equipment so theres no risk of permanent hearing loss or the problem of ringing in the ear.
If you work in any industry that requires loud machinery, use firearms, or operate a chain saw near your ears, always wear hearing protection.
The ringing in the ear caused by cardiovascular disorders such as obesity and blood vessels problems can be prevented by doing regular exercises and eating balanced diets.
Drinking too much alcohol and caffeine can lead to blood flow issues, especially when combined with nicotine. Limit these substances in order to prevent tinnitus symptoms.
Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Hearing Loss
Arthritis affects more than 350 million people worldwide, with 23 million of those individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis alone. While living with this chronic inflammatory disorder comes with its own set of challenges, you may be surprised to learn that an RA diagnosis also comes with an increased risk of hearing loss or ear problems.
Studies have shown that rheumatoid arthritis and hearing loss may be more closely related than we previously understood. So what exactly is the link between hearing loss and arthritis? Can rheumatoid arthritis cause hearing loss? Lets take a look at some key points to help you understand the risks.
Rheumatoid Arthritis And Hearing Loss
By: admin | September 30, 2021
Our bodies can be very complicated to understand, and its not always easy to pinpoint the cause of what youre experiencing. When it comes to hearing loss, there are a number of reasons why you might be experiencing it, Rheumatoid Arthritis is a possibility. There are things that can happen within the body that have a direct link to hearing loss and arthritis affects the body in a way that can cause that. Its due to the way that your ears function, and what they need in order to function correctly so if theres anything somewhere else in the body that affects that, you can experience hearing loss as a result.
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Can Arthritis Cause Hearing Loss
People with arthritis may experience hearing loss from the disease or from the drugs used for treatment. Causes may include:
- High doses of aspirin , ibuprofen , or acetaminophen .
- Prolonged use of medications used to treat arthritis.
- Arthritis may attack the cochlea and small bones, joints and cartilage of the inner ear.
- Rheumatoid arthritis can increase the chance of autoimmune inner ear disease and hearing loss.
Medication Can Cause Hearing Loss
Many of the drugs RA patients take have been proven to be ototoxic, meaning they can damage hearing, bring on tinnitus, and cause vertigo. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , antibiotics, some disease-modifying anti-inflammatory drugs , and salicylates have been implicated in hearing loss. My audiologist wisely reminded me that the fear of hearing loss should not preclude using antibiotics and NSAIDs when needed.
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Sudden Temporary Numbness In The Fingers Or Toes
Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk for Raynaud Syndrome, also known as Raynaud Phenomenon or Raynaud disease. This condition causes one or more fingers or toes to lose blood circulation. The affected area will feel numb and appear paler, white, or blueish. There is typically a distinct border between this area and normal-colored tissue.
Raynaud Syndrome can be triggered by cold exposure, emotions, and certain medications.7Filippone, Lisa M. MD Diagnosis: Raynaud Phenomenon, Emergency Medicine News: August 2004 – Vol 26 – Issue 8, p 30. Accessed August 10, 2021, https://journals.lww.com/em-news/Fulltext/2004/08000/Diagnosis__Raynaud_Phenomenon.19.aspx/a& gt An episode may last minutes or hours. A warm compress, bath, or shower may encourage blood flow. If symptoms do not resolve then medical intervention may be necessary to prevent tissue damage.
What Is Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Though rare, Autoimmune inner ear disease occurs in just under 30% of people who have another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.
With AIED, the immune system attacks the inner ear. Hearing loss can often start in one ear then move to the other ear over time.
AIED can be treated, and as with other autoimmune disorders, preservation of hearing should be a priority as early as possible.
If you have arthritis, let your Audiologist know. If a friend or loved one with arthritis is experiencing tinnitus or difficulty hearing, encourage them to book an appointment.
Broadmead Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2969 or Oak Bay Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2921.
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What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis
The immune system of those with rheumatoid arthritis mistakenly attacks health cells, causing inflammation and swelling in parts of the body. While RA usually attacks the joints, causing chronic pain, it can also affect tissues and bones throughout the body.
Those with RA will experience flares where their symptoms are worse and remission when they feel better. Common symptoms include:
- Pain or aching in joints
- Joint stiffness
- Tenderness and swelling in joints
While the specific cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, experts have determined that there are a number of factors that can increase your risk of developing the disease, including your age, gender, genetics and your smoking habits.
Effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis involves a combination of medications and self-management strategies.
What You Can Do To Improve Your Hearing Odds
First, get a base-line hearing test. If you smoke, stop. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of hearing loss. There is also evidence that smoking can make your RA worse. Its also wise to limit your alcohol consumption. Cochlear function is impacted by long-term alcohol use. Also, our world is becoming excessively noisy. Guard your hearing as you would your wallet. Sounds at or above 80 decibels can cause hearing loss. Upload a decibel meter app such as to your device.
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A Link Between Hearing Loss And Rheumatoid Arthritis
My Hearing Centers December 26, 2018 Health, Hearing, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Related Disease, Hearing Loss Science, News, Research
When you think of hearing loss, you may associate it with your loved one whos always asking you to repeat yourself, or the friend who struggles to follow conversations. Hearing loss is often caused by exposure to excessive noise and is even linked to the natural aging process. But did you know that hearing loss isnt just caused by your loud job, or the blaring music at the Saturday ball game? Along with lesser known causes of hearing loss like smoking and diabetes, a recent study found a link between hearing loss and rheumatoid arthritis.
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that affects many seniors, though young people can also suffer from the disease. Around 1.5 million Americans have RA, and this number continues to rise. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system turns against the body. Rather than protecting the body from sicknesses by warding off viral and bacterial infections, the immune system attacks the joints, causing swelling, inflammation, and pain. RA can damage cartilage and tissue around the joints, disform the joints, and even damage the bone. It becomes painful to move the affected joints, and leads to reduced mobility, and difficulty performing normal daily tasks.
Linking Hearing Loss and Rheumatoid Arthritis
How does RA Lead to Hearing Loss?
Types Of Hearing Loss
In order to understand the link between RA and hearing loss, its important to understand the different types of hearing loss.
- Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the stereocilia within the inner ear, which are hair cells that convert soundwaves into electrical energy that the brain interprets as sound.
- Conductive hearing loss is caused by damage to the middle or outer ear that prevents sound from passing through.
- Mixed hearing loss is the presence of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
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Can Pinched Nerves Cause Ringing In The Ear
Pinched nerves that last for only a short time usually do not cause any permanent damage. In most cases, when the pressure is relieved, nerve function returns to normal.
If, however, the pressure on the nerve is for a long time, permanent damage may be done, and you will experience excruciating pain.
Whether or not a pinched nerve is for a short or long time can affect the ears function.
While there is no certainty about whether or not a pinched nerve can directly cause tinnitus, it is evident that a pinched nerve can affect the ear in certain ways.
In most cases, tinnitus is a side effect of the health condition that caused the pinched nerve.
The human cervical spine is grouped into two the upper part consists of the first and second vertebra and occiput, and the lower part, which contains vertebrae 3 to 7.
Once there is an abnormality in the cervical spine, especially the upper part, the arteries and nerves connected to the ear can be affected.
For instance, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, there is every tendency that you will suffer tinnitus or even experience hearing loss.
Asides from the fact that rheumatoid arthritis can affect the tiny bones, cartilage, and joints in the ear, research has also shown that the hearing loss experienced by arthritis patients can be linked with the attacks on the joints and tissues.
This is very common for people with autoimmune forms of arthritis.
Lets briefly examine each.
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What The Studies Show
A 2006 article published in the Arthritis Foundation was first to identify this link, but other studies have provided further evidence of the connection.
One 2016 study sought to define the link between hearing impairment and RA as well as study the relationship between RA and the comorbid syndrome of hearing loss.
A statement by authors reads: Patients with RA are at higher risk of hearing impairment compared to healthy subjects in their course of the disease. The hearing impairment in RA seems to be a multifactorial condition. However, the mechanisms of injury, as well as the relative risk factors, are not completely clear.
About one percent of the general population experiences RA, and around 75 percent of these people have sensorineural hearing loss .
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What Is An Autoimmune Disease
The immune system is our body’s way of fighting off microorganisms that can make us sick. When functioning normally, the immune system can correctly identify and overcome infections. But sometimes, the immune system incorrectly identifies tissues in the body as dangerous, causing harmful types of inflammation when no actual threat is present. This malfunction can happen spontaneouslywithout a clear causeor it can sometimes occur in reaction to an infection.
Autoimmune illness is becoming more common, according to studies. One well-known autoimmune disease is type 1 diabetes. Other autoimmune diseases you may have heard of include RA, Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis, Sjögren’s syndrome, celiac disease, ankylosing spondilytis, Graves’ disease, vitiligo, lupus, and psoriasis.
Connecting The Inner Ear
There are a variety of health conditions related to psoriatic arthritis. Studies have shown that people living with a psoriatic disease can suffer from damage to their inner ears.
For some, this damage can appear as hearing loss. However, it can also cause other issues including dizziness and vertigo.
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The Paradox Of Treating Ra
Sensorineural hearing loss is typically treated with hearing aids, including for patients with RA. Sometimes treating RA alone helps alleviate hearing loss, but sometimes RA treatment causes further problems.
Another study, , found that women who take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for two or more days per week are more likely to have hearing loss than those who rarely or never take these drugs.
This is because over-the-counter painkillers are shown to be ototoxic in large or continuous doses, meaning they cause nerve damage in the inner ears.
Is There A Link Between Hearing Loss & Rheumatoid Arthritis
By: admin | October 5, 2021
Hearing loss and rheumatoid arthritis often occur together. People with RA have an increased risk of hearing loss, especially sensorineural hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss is hearing loss due to damage in the inner ear. This type of hearing loss affects the ability of the brain to interpret sound signals from the ear. Several different factors may contribute to hearing loss in RA.
For instance, damage to the ear from arthritis medication may happen when a person uses these drugs at high dosages for a prolonged period, as they reduce blood supply to the inner ear. The same inflammation and immune response that attack the joints may also damage the inner ear in some people with arthritis.
In this article, we provide more information about RA and hearing loss, including the causes and treatment options. We also discuss other autoimmune diseases that may affect a persons hearing.
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Can Ra Cause Hearing Problems
RA may increase the risk of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss happens when there is damage to the outer and middle portions of the ear, making it difficult for the ear to conduct sound.
Sensorineural hearing loss refers to damage that is deeper in the ear, affecting the inner ear and nerves. This type of hearing loss disrupts the brains ability to interpret sound.
A person can also experience mixed hearing loss, which means that they have both types of hearing impairment.
A 2016 review states that studies have reported various rates of sensorineural hearing loss in people with RA, ranging from 25% to 72%.
An earlier 2001 study compared the rates of this type of hearing loss between people with RA and those without this condition. The researchers found that sensorineural hearing loss affected both ears in 60% of participants with RA, compared with 34.29% of those without RA.
Researchers do not yet fully understand how or why RA might cause hearing loss.
However, some potential explanations include:
Does Osteoarthritis Cause Hearing Loss
Yes, osteoarthritis can result in hearing loss. This is because osteoarthritis breaks down joint cartilage. The body responds to the damage with an abnormal repair mechanism that changes bone structure.
Studies have shown a higher occurrence of abnormalities in the middle ear in people with osteoarthritis. Cartilage degenerates in the middle ear ossicles or cochlear capsule.
People with osteoarthritis also report more complaints of tinnitus.
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What Is Inflammatory Arthritis
Inflammation is the bodys natural response to an illness or injury. This process allows white blood cells to release inflammatory chemicals in the bloodstream and affected tissues to protect and heal the body. The chemical response that follows promotes blood flow in the affected areas of the body, which is why you see redness and feel warmth in these areas. The swelling in inflammation is from increased blood vessel permeability, which allows fluid to migrate from the circulation into tissues. This protective process can also cause pain because it stimulates nerves.
With some diseasesespecially inflammatory arthritisthe inflammation process is triggered even when the body has not been attacked by foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses. In these instances, the bodys immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues through the inflammatory process. With inflammatory arthritis, inflammation attacks the joints. Often, multiple joints throughout the body are affected.
Inflammatory arthritis conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout, are also called systemic diseases because they are known for affecting the entire body.
Goutis a common type of arthritis that causes intense pain, swelling, and stiffness in a joint, usually in a big toe. It is caused by excess uric acid in the bloodstream.
Getting Evaluated And Treated Early May Help Prevent The Frustration And Isolation Of Being Left Out Of The Conversation
As America ages, hearing loss is on the rise, with one in four people between 65 and 74 years of age and half of those over age 75 unable to carry on an in-person conversation without difficulty hearing. In recent years, there has been growing awareness that hearing loss is even more common in people with rheumatoid arthritis and other kinds of inflammatory arthritis, such as psoriatic arthritis.
arthritis and the drugs used to treat it may put patients at risk of developing hearing impairment. Talk to your physician if you detect any worsening in your hearing, says Amir Emamifar, MD, PhD, research fellow at the University of Southern Denmark and section of rheumatology at Svendborg Hospital.
For other types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, there have been published case studies but there is still need for more research in this area, he says.
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Statistics On Ra & Hearing Loss
One 2016 review indicates various studies have reported that the rate of people with RA who also have sensorineural hearing loss ranges from 25% to 72%.
A 2001 study that compared the rates of sensorineural hearing loss among people who have RA to those who dont found that 60% of people with RA have sensorineural hearing loss compared to 34.29% of people who dont have the condition.
While researchers dont yet fully understand how RA is connected to hearing loss, there are a few hypotheses.
Outcomes For Ra Patients
The researchers for this study did not clearly define guidelines for treating hearing impairment in RA patients.
Patients with RA are at higher risk of hearing impairment compared to healthy subjects in their course of the disease. The hearing impairment in RA seems to be a multifactorial condition. However, the mechanisms of injury, as well as the relative risk factors, are not completely clear, said the authors.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects roughly one percent of the population, and around 75 percent of RA patients experience sensorineural hearing loss. Hearing aids can improve outcomes for people with this type of hearing loss, whether or not they have RA.
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