Hearing Aids Can Help Prevent Falls & Accidents

Hearing loss can significantly impact all parts of a person’s health. There is a direct link between hearing loss that isn’t treated and the risk of falling or having other accidents. This is a risk that older people are especially likely to face. It’s also important to realize how much our ability to hear affects how we physically move through the world.

Leading researchers at places like Johns Hopkins University have helped us learn more about how hearing loss increases the chance of falling and other health problems. They have also shown that people with hearing loss are more likely to have cognitive issues like dementia.

The more you know about the links between hearing loss, falls, accidents, and mental disorders, the easier it will be for you to understand how important it is to treat untreated hearing loss.

The Connection Between Loss of Hearing and Falls

Hearing loss is linked to the risk of falling for a few reasons. When a person’s hearing gets worse, they become less aware of what’s happening around them. We hear a lot of background noises every day, but we sometimes need to pay attention to them. These sounds help us figure out where we are, spatially.

When someone loses their hearing, they may not hear these sounds, making them less aware of their surroundings. Without a good sense of space, you are more likely to run into things, miss stair steps, or lose your balance, all of which can cause you to fall.

Balance and Loss of Hearing

There is a strong link between hearing and balance; if your hearing isn’t working right, it can mess up your credit. Some researchers think that people with hearing loss use more energy to hear sounds and conversations and figure out what they mean.

Since this energy is going to the laborious task of hearing, people’s brains may have fewer resources to keep them from falling over. Hearing and balance are linked in other ways that affect how the body works.

The three semicircular canals in our inner ears control side-to-side and tilting movements. These movements are felt when each channel’s fluid and hair cells send information to our brain through the acoustic nerve. When our head is still, other parts of the inner ear tell our brain where our head is. So, problems with the inner ear, like when the way our canals work gets messed up, also mess up our overall sense of balance. This, of course, makes us more likely to fall.

Reducing The Risk Of Falls And Other Accidents

You can take steps to reduce the chances of falling and getting hurt. The first is to keep moving and keep your muscles strong. People with hearing loss, especially in the early stages, can sometimes feel too scared to be in places with a lot going on, so they withdraw into themselves or stay home. The more you go out into the world, the more you’ll learn about how your hearing loss affects and doesn’t affect your ability to interact with your surroundings.

Now is an excellent time to start exercises that will strengthen your lower body, especially your legs. This can be done by doing things like Tai Chi and yoga to improve your balance. But regular, long walks can also do a lot of good.

You can do things in your own home to make it less likely that you will fall. For example, you can make sure that any stairs are well-built, buy railings for your shower and toilet, switch to bright light bulbs all over the house, and use colors with a lot of contrast to show where different types of footfalls are needed. For example, you can make sure that your stairs are a very different color from the wall paint.

How to Treat Hearing Loss

Now is the time to get an eye exam and any other eye care you need to ensure your vision is as good as it can be. If you take medicines, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about the possibility that they could make you feel dizzy, making you more likely to fall. Taking care of your other senses is also essential, which helps you stay balanced.

Treating hearing loss also makes you safer in your environment. People over the age of 50 should get their hearing checked every year. We will work with you to find the best treatment for your hearing loss if it is found. Contact us right away to set up a meeting.