Difficulty in hearing sounds is usually the most apparent sign of hearing loss. However, there are also other consequences of hearing loss, as well as related medical issues. Our Fairway Hearing Center professionals want to shed some light on one of the hearing-related conditions, namely, problems with balance. It is no secret that hearing loss may be accompanied by such symptoms as problems with balance, coordination, and spatial orientation, which may result in accidents and fall injuries.
Considering the facts that falls are the primary cause of death and nonfatal injuries in adults older than 65 years old, and that more than a third of the population older than 65 suffers from hearing loss, one can see the importance of addressing hearing issues.
At the Fairway Hearing Center, our hearing aid specialists in Lewes believe that protecting your hearing is the key to protecting yourself.
How Does Hearing Loss Affect Balance?
Your brain utilizes information from each of your five senses to understand the world around you. When it comes to balance, the brain may process sensory input from the eyes, ears, and nerves to comprehend your position in relation to your environment. If any one of those senses is compromised, it can make it more difficult to process spatial information, leading to a related loss of balance.
In addition, when your brain lacks the auditory information it needs to process your environment, it has to dedicate more of its processing power to performing tasks like understanding speech and other sounds. That leaves you with fewer resources that can be used for spatial processing. Multiple studies, including one conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, have confirmed that those with hearing loss often suffer from associated changes to gait and posture that can affect balance and increase risk of falling injuries.
Some other, more tangential effects of hearing loss are social isolation and reduced physical activity. During the onset of hearing loss and as the condition becomes more severe over time, a person may withdraw from friends and family due to the difficulty in communicating with them. They may also cease physical activities they once enjoyed, like exercising or playing sports.
The Inner Ear: The Shared Root of Hearing and Balance
To truly understand why your hearing and balance are so closely linked, it helps to look inside the ear itself with a specialist at Fairway Hearing. Your inner ear houses two incredible systems right next door to each other: the cochlea, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular system, which manages your balance.
The vestibular system consists of fluid-filled canals and tiny hair cells that detect the movement of your head and send signals to your brain about which way is up. Because these two systems share the same intricate pathways and fluid chambers, a problem that affects one can very easily impact the other. For instance, conditions like Meniere’s disease, labyrinthitis, or even age-related wear and tear can damage the delicate structures of both hearing and balance simultaneously.
Quick Tips for Improving Your Stability
While scheduling a hearing evaluation with an audiologist is your most important first step, there are daily habits you can adopt right now to help keep you steady on your feet:
- Incorporate Balance Exercises: Simple activities like yoga, Tai Chi, or even practicing standing on one foot (while holding onto a sturdy chair) can significantly strengthen your core and improve your proprioception.
- Clear the Pathways: Reduce the risk of trips at home by removing loose rugs, clearing clutter from hallways, and making sure all walkways are well-lit.
- Stay Active: Don’t let hearing loss keep you isolated. Engaging in regular, low-impact walks helps maintain muscle mass and joint flexibility, keeping your body primed to catch itself if you lose your footing.
What Is “Cognitive Overload” and Why It Messes Up Your Stability?
While we may consider hearing and walking two different things, they actually share a common pool of brain activity. When hearing impairment comes into play, your brain gets caught in a vicious circle which impacts your stability as follows:
- Hearing Strain: The brain is overexerted in order to perceive sound properly when you suffer from untreated hearing loss.
- Mental Energy Limitation: There’s only so much brain energy that is available at any time. Since your brain expends a lot of effort to process what you hear, it experiences cognitive overload.
- Diversion of Vital Cognitive Processes: Since the brain expends so much energy in the attempt to understand what you hear, it diverts the energy required to keep you balanced.
- How Hearing Aids Can Help: By introducing a properly fitted hearing aid, you immediately relieve your brain of excessive strain. When your brain no longer needs to struggle to perceive everything you hear, it can redirect its energy elsewhere – such as to stabilize you and keep you balanced and alert.
Treating Balance Issues Related to Hearing Loss
No matter the cause of your hearing loss, if it is making it more difficult to maintain your balance, it’s important to speak to an audiologist as soon as possible. The National Institutes of Health estimate that over 20 million Americans over the age of 60 have clinically significant hearing loss that is not being treated.
Balance problems can easily cause a fatal fall, and treating your hearing loss can significantly reduce your chances of falling. Talk to your doctor about your hearing loss so you can work together to develop a treatment plan with a hearing aid fitting in Frankford, DE.
When you understand the nature and severity of your hearing loss, call the Fairway Hearing Center to help you find a hearing aid that will improve your symptoms.ng devices. Call us at (302) 251-8252 or request an appointment online.