Your health can be considerably impacted by falling down and as you get older, this is particularly relevant. It becomes more significant as you grow older to be aware of possible causes of falls. This type of awareness can help you avoid scenarios where you’re more likely to trip and sustain an injury. For instance, as researchers have learned more, it’s become clear that improving flexibility and strength is critical to minimizing fall risks.
But there are also other significant factors to consider. Researchers have uncovered a perhaps not so surprising connection between hearing loss and fall risks. A study, carried out by a team from Johns Hopkins University, found that individuals between the ages of 40 and 70 who had even moderate hearing loss were three times more likely to fall than people who did not have hearing loss.
The study also showed that the risk of a fall increased in direct relation to the degree of the hearing loss. Knowing how hearing and balance interact can help providers and individuals alike better handle fall risks. Quality of life can be considerably improved by this. Seniors will have fewer visits to the emergency room and will be able to remain in their homes longer.
Can balance issues result from hearing loss?
It’s common for people to think of balance as a foot and leg thing. Although having good footwork can be helpful, your ears are where your sense of balance really starts.
Particularly, this sense of balance begins in your inner ear. The inner ear has a portion known as the labyrinth which is made up of two essential parts:
- The vestibular system: This is a complex series of tubes that transmits balance information to your brain.
- The cochlea: A spiral-shaped cavity that transmits sound to your brain.
As the fluid circulates in the vestibular system, your brain uses the information to calculate orientation. Your sense of balance and equilibrium are governed by this.
When these signals from your ear are interrupted or distorted, a feeling of dizziness or vertigo can happen. Hearing loss happens for lots of reasons, and in many instances, the same underlying causes can impact the balance signals transmitted from your vestibular system to your brain.
Specific causes of balance loss
Exactly what kinds of hearing loss can cause balance problems is something that researchers have been working to figure out. Both hearing and balance can be affected by some conditions. Some of those causes include the following conditions:
- Meniere’s Disease: The symptoms of this inner ear condition include dizziness and episodes of hearing loss. Over time this condition usually gets worse.
- Labrynthitis: This is an infection of the inner ear, particularly of the labyrinth. The ear will lose its ability to hear and produce equilibrium when the labyrinth becomes swollen. Medications, including steroids, are normally the course of treatment. Symptoms resolve once the inflammation of the inner ear goes down.
Obviously, there are other causes of balance problems that aren’t related to hearing loss. For instance, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is known to trigger dizziness and vertigo but generally does not result in hearing loss or fullness of the ear.
If you had a balance disorder, what would the symptoms look like?
Though hearing loss can be a standard presentation, not every balance disorder impacts your hearing. Dizziness and vertigo are the most common symptoms of balance conditions. Nausea, vision problems, and the sense of “floating” can also occur.
You should contact us about possible treatments if you experience any of these symptoms.
How does hearing loss increase fall risk?
That hearing and balance are closely linked does not seem in dispute. But the exact nature of that relationship is still somewhat unclear. For instance, the relationship between hearing loss and falls doesn’t reveal the reason for that relationship.
Here are some possible links between hearing loss and the risk of taking a tumble:
- Cognitive drain and fatigue: Individuals with hearing loss often note a substantial increase in fatigue. In large part, that’s because when hearing loss happens, the human brain tries to compensate. The additional cognitive energy needed to process sound can be fatiguing. This fatigue and the related cognitive drain can make falls more likely.
- Isolation: An increase in social separation and hearing loss have been known to have a link for a long time. You may be alone with no one to call for help or help you get up if you fall. This can considerably increase your danger of serious injury in the case of a fall.
- Diminished situational awareness: Being oriented to what’s happening in physical reality is mainly accomplished by your ears. There may be a tripping danger right around the corner, such as a family pet, that you may not detect if you have untreated hearing loss.
Strategies for balance, hearing loss, and reducing falls
How can you manage balance issues? For most people, the first step will be attempting to determine the underlying cause of your balance disorder. In some situations, steroids or antibiotics may help. Other medications may help with nausea and associated vomiting. It’s also important, in some cases, to get any hearing loss treated too.
Reducing the risk of falls, in some situations, might require a more generalized strategy. Here are a few examples of situations like this:
- Talk to a physical therapist: Your cognitive, visual, and balance systems can be rejuvenated with the help of physical and occupational therapists. This can help you keep your balance and avoid falls.
- Talk to an audiologist: We can help fit you with hearing aids and maintain your hearing health. If you’re at risk of a fall as a result of hearing loss, this will help ensure that risk is as low as possible.
Don’t avoid getting quality healthcare
Falls can cause significant damage as you get older. Your risk of falling can be significantly increased by hearing loss, balance issues, or a combination of the two. That’s why prevention is so essential. You will take pleasure in a more comfortable life, have more quality time with your friends and family, and have more time in your home by avoiding falls. We can help you with vertigo, dizziness, and balance problems so call for an appointment right away.