How Chronic Illnesses Impact Hearing, Balance, and Cognition: A Guide for Hearing Care Professionals

In 2024, the CDC listed each of the following 10 medical conditions as chronic illnesses: asthma, cancer (excluding skin cancer), chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity/fall risk. Hearing loss, tinnitus, and fall risk can be associated with each of these illnesses likely due to ototoxicity, microangiopathy, genetics, and other etiologies. This article examines the risk, type, and degree of auditory-vestibular and cognitive symptoms which may occur in parallel with these chronic illnesses.