Your Hearing and Balance are intricately related. Millions of people around the world experience hearing loss and communication difficulties. Many people are not aware of the effects of hearing loss with relation to balance.
Your inner ear plays a significant role not only in hearing, but also in balance. Hearing loss contributes to dizziness, unsteadiness, balance issues, and eventual falls.
In your inner ear there are two important structures. First, there is the cochlea that provides hearing. The second structure controls your balance and that is the vestibular system. This system consists of three semicircular canals and two otolithic organs, the utricle and the saccule, that detect head movement and allows the brain spatial orientation. When a person gets a hearing loss through aging or damage to the inner ear it can also affect the vestibular system…this leads to balance problems. Several factors can be linked together with hearing loss and balance issues.
If there is damage to the our hearing; we thus experience reduced spatial awareness. When we have good hearing we know if someone is walking up beside up. We can tell where sounds are coming from. Without good spatial awareness, we are put more at risk for hazards and accidents.
Sometimes there is damage to the Vestibular system due infections in the ear, Manière’s disease and age related hearing loss. This type of damage leads to dizziness or vertigo.
Another factor is cognitive load and instability. Ever notice that some days you are more tired than other days…especially in busy or noisy environments? This is because if you have a hearing loss then you have more cognitive load. In this type of situation you are using other mental senses to try and communicate and this actually takes the focus off of your balance and stability. Lastly, inner ear fluid can also lead to both hearing loss and imbalance. This may be a result of Manière’s disease and labyrinthitis.
If you address your hearing loss early on then you can can reduce the risk of balance issues. A few statistics for you:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2024 states falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults aged 65 and older. Many of these falls are due to Vestibular dysfunction that is previously described. A John’s Hopkins study found that people with MILD hearing loss are THREE TIMES more likely to fall than someone with normal hearing. The risk of falling increases with the severity of hearing loss.
Correcting your hearing loss provides your brain with the mental awareness of your surroundings while reducing cognitive load. Communication with loved ones is easier and life is more enjoyable. We can help! Call 385-3497.
To Hear Better Is To Live Better!
By: Roseann B. Kiefer, B.A., BC-HIS