The thyroid—a gland located in the neck—plays a central role in many of the body’s functions, affecting almost every organ system: cardiovascular, nervous, digestive and even reproductive. With its wide influence, it’s not surprising that a thyroid disorder could impact hearing, and there’s an increasing amount of research suggesting that it does.
The Thyroid
The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, which creates and releases various hormones throughout the body. Hormones are chemicals that travel through the bloodstream to organs and muscles, and they contain signals to coordinate and regulate different body functions.
The hormones produced by the thyroid mainly control your metabolism, which is the process of converting food into energy. All cells in the body require energy to function, so the thyroid’s importance cannot be understated. Its influence over metabolism can affect your brain development, growth, energy levels, digestion, weight, fertility, heart rate and damage repair.
Thyroid Disorders
There are two main types of thyroid disorders: hyperthyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid overproduces hormones, and hypothyroidism, which occurs when it underproduces. This can have effects all over the body.
Hyperthyroidism, with its influx of metabolism-controlling hormones, speeds up metabolism, creating and distributing energy faster. This can cause elevated heart rate, sudden weight loss, difficulty sleeping and heat sensitivity.
Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, leads to a hormone deficiency and slows down metabolism, causing the opposite effects: slowed heart rate, sudden weight gain, fatigue and cold sensitivity.
The Inner Ear
When we hear, sound waves enter the inner ear and are transformed into electrical signals, which are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve pathway to be interpreted as sound.
The organs in the inner ear responsible for receiving and transforming those sound waves are very sensitive to changes in hormones, blood flow and oxygen levels in the body, and any changes of the sort can cause permanent damage. When these organs are damaged, it leads to hearing loss—specifically, sensorineural hearing loss.
How a Thyroid Disorder Can Affect the Inner Ear
Imbalanced thyroid hormone levels can damage the inner ear, both directly and indirectly. Hypothyroidism and hormone deficiency can reduce blood flow throughout the body due to a slowed heart rate, and changes to blood flow can cause stress and damage to the inner ear. Thyroid hormones also affect the auditory nerve pathways that the inner ear relies upon to get sound information to the brain; the impairment of that nerve can cause hearing loss.
There is still research to be done; the exact relationship between thyroid disorders and the inner ear isn’t fully understood yet. However, studies continue to suggest that they are connected, so it’s a good idea to be proactive in caring for your thyroid and hearing health.
Ototoxic Medications
Several medications used to treat thyroid disorders may be ototoxic, which means they can damage the structures of the inner ear. This does not mean that you should avoid necessary medications for treating a thyroid disorder. Still, it does mean you should discuss any possible side effects of your medications with your doctor.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and want to be proactive about protecting your hearing, contact a hearing health professional and schedule a hearing test. Having this baseline evaluation of your hearing health done right away will help monitor any changes that could occur, allowing you and your audiologist to adjust treatment as needed. Call Albany ENT & Allergy Services today for more information or to make an appointment.