Question: I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. That's explained a lot of things!

I've been troubled by tinnitus for some years - recently it's been a lot worse. I read on the net that there is a link between tinnitus and diabetes. Somewhere I read mention that diabetics can experience sudden changes in tinnitus/hearing as circulation to the ear fluctuates.

I've been trying to find more on this, as it seems to fit me. As well as a constnt hissing, which does seem to get better and worse, but never too good, i have occasional whooshes and buzzes that come and go quickly.

Has nayone here had bad tinnitus, been diagnosed as diabetic and found their tinnitus eased as they got in control of the diabetes?

Can anyone point me to any info on diabetes and tinnitus. Nearly every page on diabetes makes casual reference to tiinnitus and every page on tinnitus makes casual reference to diabetes, so it is hard to find substantial material.

Answer: I teach anatomy of the ear at a university and have some exposure to research on tinnitus. There are many causes ( ranging from Meniere's disease to no known cause) and types of tinnitus. And researchers are not sure exactly what causes tinnutus although there are several theories. Severe tinnitus is treated in a small number of centers in the USA (Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has such a program).

I have been recently diagnosed with hyperglycemia and have had intermittent tinnitus in my right ear for nine years. Recently when my blood sugar was high I have noticed a high pitched ringing in both ears, not just the right. My right tinnitus is related to an ear infection I had, not diabetes.The right-sided ringing noise is there most of the time, but most often I don't notice it unless it gets louder.

Although, numerous medical sources indicate that tinnitus can be seen with diabetes, I don't think this is well understood. (I'm kind of hoping that I might be able to use the tinnutus in my left ear to alert me to when I have higher blood glucose.) It's confusing isn't it?

Maybe there is an otologist (ear doctor) who reads this group who might want to respond. I hope you get your questions answered.