ENT Problems Common In Diabetics - Know More!

Diabetes occurs when blood glucose or blood sugar is too high. There are three kinds of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a type of diabetes where the body produces no insulin or very little insulin and a patient needs daily insulin injections in order to maintain healthy levels of glucose. Type 2 diabetes is more usual in adults. This type of diabetes produces insulin but does not get utilised in the body. Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that has high blood glucose at the time of pregnancy and generally disappears after pregnancy.  It might develop the risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

Diabetes and Ears

It is very usual to develop the risk of hearing loss along with diabetes. It happens due to high levels of blood glucose which causes damage to the inner ear. The hair cells in the inner ear do not regenerate noise without a good blood supply that eventually causes sensorineural hearing loss. To prevent damage of ear, regular exercise and a proper diet are suggested to the diabetic patient in order to improve blood circulation in the ear region.

Diabetes and Nose

Regarding the nose, the main complaints of patients are hyposmia, xeromycteria and several degrees of decreased nose’s patency. Septal perforation, alar necrosis, ulceration of nasal mucosa and chronic atrophic rhinitis are the symptoms of fungal infection or staphylococcal that can be found at the time of otolaryngologic examination. The treatment involves focal therapy with the help of a solution that moistens the nasal mucosa. 

Nose mask in an open and unhealthy environment is suggested to prevent the nose infection which can occur in diabetes. Some yoga techniques and exercises are also helpful to avoid nose infections.

Diabetes and Throat

Diabetes can disturb the tract of the gastrointestinal (GI) region. The GI tract is responsible for digestion, ingestion, elimination of unwanted waste products, and the absorption of food. It includes the mouth, throat, intestines, and stomach. When diabetes affects the GI tract, the patient may experience a sore throat. Gastrointestinal problems can cause the levels of blood glucose to fluctuate even if the patient follows exercise, diet, and therapeutic regimens consistently. Though there are different kinds of therapies to treat GI related problems, it is very important to get the levels of blood glucose under control.

Takeaway

When the levels of blood glucose are too high, diabetes occurs. It is very common to develop infections in the ears, nose, and throat in diabetes. In order to prevent them from infections, it is extremely important to get the levels of blood glucose under control as poor blood glucose levels can worsen the condition of the patient’s nose, ear, and throat.