{"id":899,"date":"2022-08-26T13:30:57","date_gmt":"2022-08-26T18:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hcaudiology.com\/?p=899"},"modified":"2022-08-26T13:30:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T18:30:57","slug":"is-there-a-connection-between-fibromyalgia-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hcaudiology.com\/is-there-a-connection-between-fibromyalgia-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a Connection Between Fibromyalgia & Hearing Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, memory issues and mood problems. In many cases, these symptoms begin following a triggering event, such physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological distress. In other cases, symptoms develop gradually with no apparent trigger. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, there are medications and lifestyle modifications that can help manage symptoms.<\/p>\n

In addition to tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, fibromyalgia is also associated with hearing loss<\/a>. We review the link below.<\/p>\n

What Does the Research Show?\"Otoscope<\/h2>\n

One study<\/a> published in the journal PLOS One <\/em>in 2020 sought to examine whether patients with fibromyalgia have an increased risk of hearing loss compared to those without.<\/p>\n

To do this, the researchers used Taiwan\u2019s National Health Insurance Research Database to compare information from two cohorts. The first cohort had new-onset fibromyalgia between 2000 and 2002, and the second cohort did not have fibromyalgia but was age- and sex-matched to the first group. All participants were followed from three months after their diagnosis until death, withdrawal, hearing loss development or the date Dec. 31, 2013.<\/p>\n

The results indicated that the overall risk of hearing loss<\/a> in the group with fibromyalgia group was 1.46-fold higher than in the group without the condition, after adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities.<\/p>\n

The researchers explained, \u201cOur findings support the notion that [fibromyalgia] influences [hearing loss] and is in line with the hypothesis that the [fibromyalgia] mechanism is related to a central nervous system abnormality in sensory processing.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You\u2019ve Been Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia\u2026<\/h2>\n

If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it\u2019s important to schedule a baseline hearing test with an audiologist right away, then continue to get hearing screenings on a regular basis. If you find that you can\u2019t hear your conversation partner at The Lakehouse<\/a> anymore, it may be time to seek treatment.<\/p>\n

You can manage your fibromyalgia symptoms by:<\/p>\n