Do you invest much time thinking about your nervous system? Probably not all that regularly. Normally, you wouldn’t have to be concerned about how your neurons are sending signals to the nerves of your body. But when those nerves start to misfire – that is when something fails – you begin to pay much more attention to your nervous system.
There’s one specific condition, known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, which can impact the nervous system on a pretty large scale, though the symptoms usually manifest mainly in the extremities. high-frequency hearing loss can also be triggered by CMT according to some research.
What Is Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a set of inherited conditions. The protective sheathing around the nerves fail to function properly due to a genetic condition.
There is a problem with how impulses move between your brain and your nerves. A loss in motor function and sensation can be the result.
CMT can be found in a number of variations and a combination of genetic factors usually result in its expressions. Symptoms of CMT normally begin in the feet and go up to the arms. And, oddly, among those who have CMT, there is a higher rate of occurrence of high-frequency hearing loss.
A Connection Between Hearing Loss And CMT: The Cochlear Nerve
The connection between CMT and hearing loss has always been colloquially established (that is, everybody knows somebody who has a story about it – at least within the CMT community). And it was tough to understand the link between loss of sensation in the legs and problems with the ears.
The connection was firmly established by a scientific study just recently when a group of researchers examined 79 people with CMT at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
The findings were quite conclusive. Nearly everyone with CMT passed their low and moderate frequency hearing tests with flying colors. But all of the individuals showed hearing loss when it came to the high-frequency sounds (usually across the moderate levels). high-frequency hearing loss, according to this research, is likely to be associated with CMT.
The Cause of Hearing Loss and How to Treat It
At first, it could be puzzling to attempt to recognize the link between high-frequency hearing loss and CMT. But all of your body, from your eyebrows to your toes, relies on the correct functioning of nerves. Your ears are no different.
The theory is, CMT impacts the cochlear nerve so sounds in the high-frequency range aren’t able to be translated. Anybody with this type of hearing loss will have difficulty hearing certain sounds, including voices. Trying to hear voices in a crowded noisy room is particularly hard.
This form of hearing loss is commonly managed with hearing aids. CMT has no known cure. Modern hearing aids can isolate the exact frequencies to boost which can give considerable assistance in fighting high-frequency hearing loss. The majority of modern hearing aids can also perform well in loud environments.
Hearing Loss Can Have A Number of Causes
Researchers still aren’t entirely certain why CMT and hearing loss seem to co-exist quite so frequently (above and beyond their untested theory). But hearing aid tech provides a definite solution to the symptoms of that hearing loss. So making an appointment to get fitted for hearing aids will be a smart decision for people who suffer from CMT.
There are numerous causes for hearing loss symptoms. Commonly, it’s an issue of loud noise leading to damage to the ears. Blockages can be another cause. It also looks as if CMT is another possible cause.