Few modern-day diseases are as devastating and subtle in their development as diabetes. Given the fact that the pre-diabetic phase is seldom more than feelings of dizziness, nausea and fatigue, most victims are taken by surprise when diabetes develops into its more advanced stages, flooding the victim with complications, some of which can even be life-threatening in their potency. Thus, not surprisingly, a majority of diabetes-related deaths often result because of a misjudged or delayed diagnosis, which makes treatment a very difficult and long-drawn process.

The high glucose levels, which form the crux of diabetes, also continue to plague the individual well after the disease has matured. The high sugar content of the blood hinders its circulation, by thickening the arteries of the body, while also causing tremendous amount of damage to the blood vessels. Over time, this damage begins to affect the nerves, leading to loss of sensation, which increases as the disease grows more flagrant.

The vascular tissue plays a primary role in the auditory process, and when damaged by diabetes, brings about an immediate decline in the individual's auditory capacity. The nerve damage that diabetes brings about is further amplified by the narrowness of the capillaries in this region, which causes severe micro-vascular damage to the inner ear. The outer ear is no exception to this diabetes-induced trauma, with the ear-cells responsible to magnifying sounds traced by the cochlea being gradually destroyed as diabetes continues to wreck havoc on the individual's body.

Auditory damage can be detected only when the cochlea is inspected which, given its positioning inside the temporal lobe is impossible unless the individual is surgically examined. Further, the brainstem and cortex which determine the extent of damage to the neural pathways are also obscured to the naked eye, which makes surgery the only feasible option if this complication is to be diagnosed.

Diabetes brought-about hearing loss is also very hard to gauge, in spite of the fact that individual's auditory functioning may be a lot lower than the clinically determined optimal levels. And thus, even while clinical tests may prove otherwise, the individual continues to suffer from auditory damage until the condition is exacerbated to its most severe, treating which proves to be a lot more difficult than curbing this condition at its nascent phase would be.

Diabetes is also responsible for auditory damage at a secondary level, where it disrupts the functioning of the auditory nerve, delaying the rate at which signals are transmitted from the cochlea to the brain. Thus, when faced with complex sound patterns like speech, the brain finds it difficult to comprehend these sound signals, making the individual confused and disarrayed.

The best way to apprehend any auditory damage before you suffer any permanent debility to your hearing is to include regular auditory examinations as a part of your standard physical examinations. Your physician will determine the appropriate testing schedule for you, as well as the tests you are to undertake. However, as the adage goes, the most effective way to counter a disease is to destroy its source which, in this case would be to prevent high blood glucose levels at all times. Although this may seem like a daunting and continually uphill task at first, it can nonetheless be attained by simply adhering to your diabetes basics of a regular and planned diet, moderate exercise, glucose testing and medication. Take control of your diabetes today and watch your health take an immediate turnabout!