One of our roles at North Houston Hearing Solutions is to help you manage any issues with your hearing which are related to other hearing conditions. We do this by giving you information about any potential links as well as offering you specialized advice, assessment and support in conjunction with any other medical treatment you are receiving.
Today we are focused on thyroid disease and hearing loss. The specifics of each case can vary substantially and so we work with you to understand the specific impact of any thyroid issue you are having. However, there is some general information you can start with to help you better understand your body and what we can do to help.
What is the thyroid?
The thyroid is a gland in the body that is situated in the neck. It produces hormones which influence the entire body. Its primary functions are the control of metabolism, regulating the heartbeat and oxygen intake, and growth and development in younger people.
What is thyroid disease?
Thyroid disease is an umbrella term that covers a number of conditions where the thyroid is malfunctioning in some way. This might be through over or under activity or due to a deformity or tumors on the thyroid. All of these affect the thyroid’s ability to produce, deliver or regulate its normal hormonal output.
What does this have to do with hearing?
Thyroid conditions can directly or indirectly affect the hearing.
There are a number of conditions that can lead to tinnitus, loss of balance or other hearing-related issues including: Pendred Syndrome, Grave’s Disease and Hashimoto’s Disease. The link between the activity of the thyroid and hearing is not yet fully understood. However, the thyroid plays such a vital role in metabolism it stands to reason that anything that disrupts it will affect other parts of the body eventually.
Indirectly, treatment for thyroid issues can affect the hearing. This is particularly true when it comes to radiation therapy for thyroid cancer.
In either case, the loss might be temporary or permanent. At North Houston Hearing Solutions, we aim to support you regardless of your prognosis. You may benefit from short term use of a hearing aid, or you might need to consider a long-term solution, like cochlear implants or high-tech hearing devices.
What can we do to help?
When you are faced with a potential hearing issue, it is best to seek hearing aid assistance of a professional Audiologist as soon as possible.. Just knowing you are supported can provide you with the resilience you need to take whatever steps are necessary for your health.
Contact us at North Houston Hearing Solutions to discuss your needs during a detailed hearing assessment.
