The Role Of Hearing Loss In The Development Of Balance And Coordination Problems

Hearing loss is commonly associated with a decline in hearing ability, but its impact extends beyond just that. In addition to affecting your hearing, it can also have an impact on your balance and coordination. If left untreated, these effects can worsen and further impact your overall quality of life.

That could be a surprising fact for many people. If you’re already experiencing hearing loss, then you could be in for more of a surprise when balance and coordination issues start coming up. Studies have already shown that people with hearing loss are three times more likely to experience falls than people who don’t have it.

The main reason for this is how connected your hearing and balancing systems are. To avoid this, you’ll need to be as informed as possible, as well as take the necessary steps in managing your hearing loss. Seeing an audiologist about your hearing loss is a vital step in this.
But first, it’s worth looking at the relationship between hearing loss and balance and coordination problems.

Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Balance Problems

Your hearing plays a vital role in your spatial awareness, letting you move around properly without any issues. Your ears pick up sound, and your brain then processes this information so it can properly understand the environment around you. The sensory information your ears pick up could be vital to this.

Without this information, your brain struggles to understand the world around you. It leads to you not picking up on the sounds your brain needs. As this gets worse, your brain struggles more and more, which leads to more balancing and coordination issues. While this starts small, it becomes increasingly more notable.

That’s especially true when you consider how quickly hearing loss can get worse.

How Hearing Loss Affects Your Coordination

With all that in mind, how does hearing loss actually affect your balance and coordination? There are three main ways hearing loss could affect your balancing. First is the fact you might not be aware of any obstacles or potential dangers around you, thanks to a reduced environmental awareness.

Secondly, your spatial awareness could be affected. You might think objects are further away than they actually are. Your coordination and balance get worse because of this, and you risk falling more and more. Thirdly is the change in how your brain operates.

It’ll put much more effort into trying to hear and interpret speech and sounds, which could result in it putting less effort into your balance or gait. Some things will almost be ignored by your brain or not get as much attention as it should.

These can all combine and lead to an increased risk of falling, and people with hearing loss are three times more likely to experience a fall compared to people without hearing loss. That means taking extra effort into maintaining your safety. You’ll also need to learn how to manage your hearing loss and balancing issues.

Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be as complicated as you’d think.

Managing Hearing Loss and Balancing Issues

Managing your hearing loss and balancing issues could be as simple as taking extra care when walking or moving around. Being properly aware of your surroundings is vital to this, making it worth being extra cautious when you’re out and about. You’ll also need to worry about the hearing loss itself, though.

If left untreated, this gets worse over time, which could lead to more balance and coordination problems in the future. While hearing loss can’t be reversed, it can be managed pretty effectively. Visiting an audiologist is the first step in this, as they can inform you of the best path to take for your needs.

In many cases, this will be with hearing aids. Since there are multiple types of these offered, an audiologist works with you to figure out what the best option for you is. With a little time, your hearing will be better than you’d think. The hearing device compensates for the loss in hearing, which could prevent the balancing and coordination problems.

When you’re taking this path, Salyer Hearing Center is the right choice for you. Our experienced audiologists work with you to find the best possible treatment and hearing loss management for you. Ring us today in Sylva at 828-586-7474, Franklin at 828-524-5599 or Murphy at 828-835-1014, and we’ll be delighted to help you.