How Heart and Vascular Health Affects Your Hearing

When you think about your hearing, it’s easy to only focus on your ears. However, your ability to hear goes beyond that, it’s also closely tied to your cardiovascular health and blood flow. Your hearing and vascular system are more connected than you might think. Your inner ear relies on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to work properly, which means your heart and circulatory system play an important role in how clearly you hear and how well your hearing holds up over time.

Your heart and cardiovascular health are usually discussed only in terms of heart disease or blood pressure, but their impact on your ability to hear clearly is often overlooked.

The Link Between Your Hearing and Blood Flow

Your hearing system requires good blood flow in order to function properly. The cochlea, a small, spiral-shaped organ in your inner ear, converts sound vibrations into electrical signals that get sent to the brain. This process depends on a network of tiny blood vessels, known as microvasculature, to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the hair cells in your inner ear.

Because these blood vessels are so small, they are especially sensitive to changes in circulation. Healthy blood flow supports nerve function, sound processing, and the brain’s ability to interpret sound accurately. Poor circulation means the auditory system may not receive the oxygen it needs.

Common Cardiovascular Factors That Can Influence Hearing

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure can place extra stress on the blood vessels in your inner ear. When your blood pressure is high, it can interfere with your circulation and affect the cells in your ears that are responsible for your hearing.

Blood pressure fluctuations can also alter how you hear and perceive sounds. It can also contribute to symptoms such as tinnitus or make your hearing more sensitive. While not everyone with hypertension experiences hearing issues, if you’re experiencing hearing changes, your elevated blood pressure might be the reason.

Poor Circulation and Vascular Conditions

When your body doesn’t circulate blood properly, it can restrict blood flow to parts of your body, including your ears. When arteries become narrowed or inflamed due to plaque buildup or other health issues, your ears receive less oxygen, which may affect sound processing and make sounds muffled.

Your inner ear is affected by inflammation and reduced circulation, which highlights the connection between hearing loss and heart and vascular issues. The cells in your cochlea can withstand only a certain level of damage before it becomes permanent, so maintaining healthy blood flow is important for protecting your hearing long-term.

3 Signs Your Hearing Might Be Affected by Your Vascular Health

Certain conditions can point to circulation-related issues instead of just a hearing problem. The signs can be confusing, but there are subtle differences to keep an eye out for:

• Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing) that fluctuates with blood pressure changes
• Sudden or progressive hearing changes without obvious ear-related causes
• Increased difficulty understanding speech, especially in background noise

It’s important to take these symptoms seriously if they appear suddenly, get worse over time, or interfere with your ability to communicate.

The Importance of Comprehensive Hearing Evaluations

A hearing test doesn’t just measure your ability to hear certain volumes, it also assesses how well you process speech and how well your auditory system manages background noise and communicates with your brain.

The results of your hearing evaluation might be able to identify health-related factors that might be contributing to your hearing issues. Hearing specialists do not diagnose cardiovascular conditions, but they can identify hearing changes that require additional medical follow-up. This is a big reason why you shouldn’t skip your annual hearing evaluation.

Heart-Healthy Habits That Help Support Your Hearing

Many of the same habits that are good for your heart are also good for your hearing. Some wellness practices that are beneficial for both your hearing health and circulatory systems are:

• Engaging in regular physical activity to promote healthy circulation
• Following a balanced, nutrient-rich diet to support overall wellness
• Monitoring and managing your blood pressure as part of routine healthcare
• Avoiding smoking to help protect the health of your blood vessels

A Healthy Heart Means Healthier Hearing

Having a better understanding of how closely your hearing is connected to your overall health will allow you to make better decisions for your health long-term. It’s also a good way to monitor for any hearing changes and know when it might be time to schedule a hearing test.

Beltone Skoric’s team of hearing care professionals can perform comprehensive hearing evaluations and schedule hearing aid consultations and demos when necessary to make your hearing care as personalized as it can be.