How frequently do you think about your nervous system? For the majority of people, the answer would probably be not very frequently. Generally, you wouldn’t have to worry about how your neurons are sending signals to the nerves of your body. But you will take a closer look when something fails and the nerves start to misfire.
There’s one specific condition, called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, which can impact the nervous system on a fairly large scale, though the symptoms normally manifest mainly in the extremities. high-frequency hearing loss can also be the result of CMT according to some research.
What Is Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a set of inherited disorders. Effectively, these genetic conditions cause something to go wrong with your nerves or with the protective sheathing around your nerves.
There is a problem with how impulses move between your brain and your nerves. A loss of motor function and sensation can be the outcome.
A mixture of genetic elements commonly results in the expression of symptoms, so CMT can be found in a number of varieties. For most people with CMT, symptoms start in the feet and go up into their arms. And, curiously, among those who have CMT, there is a higher rate of occurrence of high-frequency hearing loss.
A Link Between Hearing Loss And CMT: The Cochlear Nerve
The link between CMT and hearing loss has always been colloquially supported (that is, everyone knows somebody who has a story about it – at least within the CMT community). And it was difficult to recognize the connection 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 evaluated 79 people with CMT at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
The findings were quite decisive. Nearly everyone with CMT passed their low and moderate frequency hearing tests with flying colors. But high-frequency sounds (in the moderate region in particular) were effortlessly heard by all of the participants. Based on this research, it seems pretty likely that CMT can at least be associated with high-frequency loss of hearing.
What is The Cause of Hearing Loss And How Can it be Treated?
At first, it could be perplexing to try to figure out the link between high-frequency hearing loss and CMT. Like every other part of your body relies on correctly functioning nerves. Your ears are no different.
What the majority of researchers hypothesize occurs is that the cochlear nerve is impacted by the CMT – disrupting your ear’s ability to interpret and convey sounds in a high-frequency range. Some sounds, including some voices, will be difficult to hear. Trying to understand voices in a crowded noisy room is particularly hard.
Hearing aids are commonly used to manage this type of hearing loss. CMT has no renowned cure. Modern hearing aids can select the precise frequencies to boost which can provide significant assistance in fighting high-frequency hearing loss. Additionally, most modern hearing aids can be adjusted to function well in noisy conditions.
Many Causes of Hearing Loss
Beyond the untested theory, it’s still uncertain what the link between CMT and high-frequency hearing loss. But hearing aid tech provides a clear treatment for the symptoms of that loss of hearing. So scheduling an appointment to get a fitting for hearing aids will be a smart choice for individuals who suffer from CMT.
Hearing loss symptoms can arise for a wide variety of reasons. Commonly, it’s a matter of loud noise causing injury to the ears. Obstructions can be yet another cause. It also looks as if CMT is another possible cause.
