Many people, along with the development of diabetes, also have hearing loss.  According to the American Diabetes Association, about 37 million Americans have diabetes. Meanwhile, about 34.5 million of them also have some type of hearing loss, Medical Xpress writes.  According to a recent study, people with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss as those without the disease. Even the 133 million people with prediabetes have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss than people with normal blood sugar levels. The reason may be that high blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels in the inner ear, says the American Diabetes Association. This is similar to how diabetes can damage the eyes and kidneys. Signs of hearing loss can manifest as frequent requests to repeat a sentence, problems understanding conversations involving more than two people, and thinking that others are mumbling something. They may also include hearing problems in noisy places such as busy restaurants, problems hearing women's voices and the voices of young children, and turning the TV or radio too loudly for those nearby. The association advises people who suspect they are losing their hearing to talk to their doctor and then seek help from an audiologist, a licensed hearing aid retailer or a doctor who specializes in hearing problems.