The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Balance Issues

Many factors can cause hearing loss, and a lot of them can be controlled. For example, if you work in a noisy environment you can take measures to protect your hearing by wearing protective gear. You can also turn down the volume on your devices whenever possible. All of this will help protect your hearing. However, some things about hearing loss cannot be controlled, and its impact on balance is one of them. Here’s a look at how hearing loss can impact balance.

The Link Between Balance and Hearing

The link between balance and hearing is often not connected by many people. However, what happens in your ear, especially your inner ear significantly affects your balance. For every decibel of hearing, you lose your chances of being off balance and falling increase. This is why elderly people are so prone to falling in some cases.

Hearing loss is very common when you age. It is often considered a natural part of the aging process. Since hearing loss directly affects the inner ear, it makes it more likely for elderly people to fall.

The Functions of the Inner Ear

As mentioned before, the inner ear can have a big impact on balance. It consists of two sections. It is made up of the cochlea which is used for your hearing and the vestibular which is responsible for balance. The vestibular in the inner ear has looped cubes. There are three in each of your ears.

This vestibular system is extremely sensitive to any movements that you make. This is why spinning can make you feel nauseous and put you completely off balance. Once you understand how the inner ear works it is easy to see that any problems in the inner ear can cause you to feel off-centered.

Symptoms of Balance Issues

When you have balance issues it can often come with a specific set of symptoms. You may experience dizziness or nausea. You may feel like you are falling over or become lightheaded. Blurred vision is also another common symptom for those who are having balance problems. Confusion and feeling disoriented are other symptoms that may accompany a lack of balance.

Anyone with hearing loss may experience staggering while they are walking. For an elderly person, a lack of balance may not just be caused by problems with the inner ear. It can also be a result of high blood pressure and carrying excess weight. It is important to rule out these factors before visiting your audiologist.

The optimal approach is to consult an audiologist if you’re experiencing balance issues, they will be able to see if your balance issues are related to hearing loss. Your audiologist will be able to provide the best treatment plan for your hearing loss and related conditions.

How an Audiologist Can Help

An audiologist can apply several different treatment methods to help stop balance issues. The first set of treatments they may try is position treatments. Many people experience balance problems when they have to move their heads in a certain direction.

An audiologist will often test using the saccade procedure. This procedure is done by asking you to follow a marker with your eyes. These rapid eye movements will give clues about how delicate movements affect your balance. This will help your audiologist understand exactly why you are experiencing balance problems.

Audiologists also do vestibular rehabilitation with their patients. The vestibular rehabilitation program will train your balance system to become comfortable with specific movements once again. As you work with your audiologist to get your balancing system comfortable with certain positions once again you will experience fewer balancing issues.

Get Your Balance Issues Resolved

If you’re experiencing balancing issues it’s a good idea to see your audiologist as soon as you can. The sooner you visit your audiologist and let them know your symptoms, the quicker you can start getting treatment for this condition. If you have been to a general practitioner and are then referred to an audiologist, they will use the information that was gathered from your general practitioner to help create a treatment program for you.

Lack of balance is sometimes inevitable whenever you have hearing loss. However, by recognizing your symptoms, and sharing them with an audiologist, they will be better able to assess whether hearing loss is responsible for your lack of balance. You can get your hearing assessed by a qualified audiologist, learn more about ChEARS Hearing Center by contacting us at (619) 717-2601