Gout is really, really painful. I know, I have been suffering from gout for more than twenty years. My dad had gout and, I suppose, he must have passed it on through the genes, God bless him.

Gout affects around 41 million people worldwide and, if you haven’t had it, it is the same as acute arthritis. Not much fun. It can be effectively prevented by taking pharmaceuticals, like allopurinol, regularly or just changing your diet. Less alcohol and protein. If you really don’t want to, or just can’t, cut back on a good lifestyle then you may be heading for more health issues, like hearing loss. New audiology research now shows a link between gout suffering and high frequency hearing loss.

I’m not rich, not even close, but in Malaysia you can enjoy a wonderful lifestyle on a reasonable budget, even with price inflation these days! This may however affect your health, including your hearing. In the past, gout was often referred to as ‘a rich person’s disease’ because only wealthy people could afford to buy expensive alcohol and eat the finest foods. Too much cognac and steak, alcohol and protein, creates uric acid which forms crystals around your joints that inflame to give you gout. This is no longer the case as a rich diet of cheap beer and seafood can do the same to our bodies.

Chronic, or long-term illnesses, such as diabetes have already been scientifically linked to hearing loss. First one thing goes wrong then something else follows. Double trouble! In a study published by Wiley online, in May 2022, researchers examined early hearing loss detection in gout sufferers. The aim of the study was to analyse the hearing levels of patients with gout using extended high frequencies audiometry to reveal the early detectability of potential hearing losses. Two groups were analysed; patients with gout and healthy volunteers. The results of the study found that there is no significant difference between groups in terms of average hearing thresholds in the usual behavioral tests used to measure hearing sensitivity. But, at all frequencies above 4000 Hz (4000-18000 Hz), hearing thresholds were significantly higher in patients with gout. Moreover, hearing thresholds above 8000 Hz were positively correlated with uric acid levels. These findings indicate that using extended high frequencies audiometry should have an important place in the early detection of potential hearing losses in gout patients.

Whether you suffer from gout, or not, the best way to treat your hearing loss is to visit a good, professional audiologist, like Clarisound. The sooner the better. If you, or your loved ones, do suffer from gout then you may not be aware that your high frequency hearing is impaired. At Clarisound our friendly, professional audiologists will be able to help you find out.