Hearing and Balance: The Connection and Why It Matters
Hearing is a vital body function that helps us communicate and interact with the environment. But did you know that your ears also help you to maintain your balance?
Your body is made up of interconnected systems that maintain balance. These include the visual system (eyes), vestibular system (inner ear), and proprioceptive system (sensory nerves). These work in unison to make up the balance system by collecting information from your eyes, ears, and nerves and sending it to your brain.
The balance system helps you remain positioned while sitting, standing, walking, and moving around. When you have a balance disorder, you may suffer from symptoms such as feeling dizzy or being more prone to falls.
Nearly 40% of Americans experience vertigo or dizziness at some time. One of the most common, yet often overlooked, reasons you may have balance issues is related to hearing loss. In this article, we explore the connection between hearing and balance.
Relationship Between Hearing and Balance
There’s a direct connection between your hearing and balance. We already mentioned that the inner ear contains the peripheral vestibular system, which functions primarily to help you maintain balance.
The inner ear also contains the cochlea, a spiral fluid-filled tube necessary for hearing. You can think of the cochlea and the peripheral vestibular system as neighbors. They’re very close to each other and share a nerve that transports information to your brain.
In addition to sensory input from the eyes and proprioception (the sense of self-movement, force, and body position), the vestibular system signals your brain if you’re moving. It also lets you know where your body is in space. For instance, your vestibular system tells you whether you are right-side up or upside down.
If any part of the vestibular system, including your inner ear, becomes damaged, it can impact your ability to maintain an ordinary sense of balance.
How Balance Is Connected to Hearing Loss
There are two main types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Damage to the inner ear typically results in sensorineural hearing loss. In contrast, issues with the outer ear can lead to conductive hearing loss. Maintaining good hearing health throughout your life is vital.
Hearing loss in adults, especially due to aging, can cause many negative effects. In addition to problems with balance, untreated hearing loss can trigger impaired memory and concentration, dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s), depression, social isolation, loneliness, and safety issues.
While hearing loss itself doesn’t cause balance problems—both conditions are caused by the loss of inner ear hair cells—it’s not uncommon for people with a hearing deficit to fall more frequently. Your balance is heavily connected to your hearing, so your brain may not be able to sense your body’s position naturally.
In a 2012 Johns Hopkins study, researchers determined that even a mild degree of hearing loss tripled the risk of an accidental fall. Furthermore, that risk increases by 140 percent for every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss. A study from Washington University also showed that patients who wear hearing aids in both ears did better on balance tests when their hearing aids were turned on than when turned off.
If you or a loved one has been experiencing any common signs of hearing loss, don’t delay getting your ears checked.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
— Dizziness
Symptoms such as vertigo, disequilibrium, lightheadedness, and spatial disorientation can all be described as dizziness.
— Fatigue
When hearing loss is present, the brain must compensate for the loss and work harder than before to process the same information, causing stress on the brain and finally fatigue.
— Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception of noises within the ears or head (e.g., ringing, buzzing, whooshing, roaring, crickets, etc.) in the absence of an external sound.
— Vertigo
Vertigo is the sensation of spinning or moving, even though you are still. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus (abnormal eye movements).
— Dizziness
Symptoms such as vertigo, disequilibrium, lightheadedness, and spatial disorientation can all be described as dizziness.
— Increased Risk of Falling
While the risk of falls increases with age, falls are not a normal part of aging and are often preventable.
Conditions That Affect Balance
If you think you have hearing loss, we can help. At Amazing Hearing we offer a Free Online Hearing Screening that gives you results immediately. If your hearing test shows you have hearing loss, our FDA-registered medical-grade hearing aids may be the answer.
