How Does Hearing Loss Affect Your Balance?
Did You Know Hearing Loss and Fall Risk Are Linked?
If you’ve ever suspected that your hearing might be affecting your balance, you could be right – hearing and balance are closely connected.
Addressing hearing loss can play an important role in reducing the risk of imbalance and falls1. Being proactive about your hearing health is a positive step toward maintaining your independence and well-being.
“While individuals with hearing loss don’t always experience vertigo or balance issues, these symptoms can occur together in conditions such as Meniere’s disease, which affects both the auditory and vestibular systems,” explains S. Hiotis, Hearing Care Professional. "Wearing hearing aids may support overall balance by improving environmental awareness and spatial cues."
Let’s investigate how hearing and balance are linked, and what you can do to stay steady on your feet.
Wearing hearing aids may support overall balance by improving environmental awareness and spatial cues.
What Is the Link Between the Inner Ear and Balance?
The organs responsible for hearing and balance are both located in the inner ear. “The inner ear includes both the cochlea, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance,” explains Hiotis. “If there is dysfunction or damage in the inner ear, it can affect both hearing and balance simultaneously.”
Essentially, this function informs your brain of the location of your head and body in relation to your surroundings. Are you reading this as you’re walking right now? Then your ears are sending your brain a message through acoustic canals to let it know that it’s in motion. Your ears do more than help you hear; they help keep you oriented and steady, wherever you go.
How Your Inner Ear Keeps You Upright
Our sense of hearing supports spatial awareness by providing cues about distance, direction and movement. “Because they improve hearing, hearing aids can enhance spatial awareness, help identify sound cues related to distance, direction, speed and movement, and reduce disorientation,” explains Hiotis. “Essentially, by amplifying environmental sounds, hearing aids make it easier to locate where sounds are coming from, which can support balance and orientation.”
When something disrupts this flow of information, your brain may struggle to process spatial cues, making balance and coordination more difficult2. Even mild hearing difficulties can affect your sense of confidence as you move throughout the day.
Is Your Hearing Loss Causing Balance Problems?
If you’re embarrassed about falling recently, don’t be – everyone hits the floor at some point. The real concern isn’t the fall itself, but what it could mean for your health as you get older. Recognizing the connection between hearing and balance is the first step in taking charge of your wellbeing.
“People with hearing loss often need to concentrate more to understand speech and sounds, placing greater demands on their cognitive resources,” says Hiotis.
“This increased effort can divert attention from maintaining balance and coordination, leading to a higher risk of falls. Additionally, individuals with hearing loss may withdraw from social and physical activities, which can result in weakened muscles and impaired balance.” By staying engaged and proactive, you can support both your social life and your stability.
Research has shown a strong connection between hearing loss and falls, along with risks associated with them as you age.
- Global research shows that people with hearing loss are 51% more likely to experience a fall compared to those without hearing loss.3
- For every 10 decibels of increased hearing loss, the chance of suffering an injury from a fall increases by 1.4 times.4
Why Falls Deserve More Attention as We Age
An estimated 684,000 people die from falls globally5
28-35% of people aged 65 plus fall each year, which increases to 32-42% for people over 70 years of age6
Can hearing aids improve balance?
But there is good news.
A hearing aid can be a simple, effective way to reduce the risk of falls. Studies have shown that if you use a hearing aid, you reduce your odds of experiencing a fall by up to fifty percent.7
Hearing aids can:
Boost spatial awareness by amplifying environmental sounds
Support balance by enhancing the auditory cues the brain uses for stability- Reduce cognitive strain, freeing mental resources to focus on movement
Increase confidence and mobility, helping you stay active, which is linked to a lower fall risk
Help prevent environmental, balance-related, and indoor falls, especially in older adults
“The built-in microphones in hearing aids help detect sounds from different directions, improving spatial awareness and potentially reducing dizziness,” explains Hiotis.
“When hearing aids enhance your awareness of the environment, like footsteps or approaching vehicles, they can help you navigate the world more safely.”
Something as simple as hearing aids can help you stay confident on your feet and keep you connected to what matters most.
Hearing Loss and Fall Prevention Strategies
Regular hearing checks. Even when we don’t think we have a problem, sometimes, it can sneak up on us
If you enjoy concerts or work in a loud environment, it’s never too early to investigate what damage could already have been done
Consult your general physician or physiotherapist for custom balance activities that you can conduct as part of your exercise routine to prevent falls and injuries
We get our eyes tested regularly and order new specs, take statins for our cholesterol and stool samples for our colons, but people don’t talk enough about what we can do to help keep our balance as we get older.
Prioritizing your hearing care needs as part of your routine check-ups is essential.
Protect Yourself and Your Wellbeing
Sources:
1 NPR: Hearing loss can lead to deadly falls, but hearing aids may cut the risk (13 November 2023): https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/13/1212051086/hearing-aids-hearing-loss-falls-injury-aging-older-adults
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss (14 June 2023): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37314100/
2 Healthy Hearing (13 May 2024): https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53282-Explainer-how-hearing-balance-are-connected-auditory-vestibular
3 JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery: Hearing Loss and the Risk of Falls: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2831342
4 National Library of Medicine (27 Feb 2023): Hearing Loss and Falls Among Older Adults in the United States: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3518403
5 World Health Organisation (26 April 2021): Falls: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls
6 World Health Organisation (17 March 2008): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563536
7 National Library of Medicine: Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss (14 June 2023): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37314100/
