Kids have a tendency to fall on a daily basis. Wiping out on your bicycle? Not unusual. Stumbling over your own feet while you’re running outside? Happens every day. It’s not really a concern because, well, kids are kind of limber. They bounce back pretty easily.
The same cannot be said as you get older. Falling becomes much more of a worry as you get older. One reason for this is that bones are more brittle and heal slower when you’re older. Older individuals might have a more difficult time getting up after a tumble, so they spend more time in pain lying on the floor. As a result, falls are the number one injury-connected cause of death in people over 65.
It’s not shocking, then, that healthcare professionals are always on the lookout for tools and devices that can reduce falls. New research seems to suggest that we may have determined one such device: hearing aids.
Can falls be caused by hearing loss
If you want to understand how hearing aids could possibly prevent a fall, you need to ask this related question: is it possible that hearing loss can raise your risk of having a fall? In some instances, it appears that the answer is a definite yes.
So you have to ask yourself, why would the danger of falling be raised by hearing loss?
There isn’t really an intuitive connection. After all, hearing loss doesn’t directly influence your ability to move or see. But this type of direct impact on your mobility, and an elevated risk of falling, can be a result of some hearing loss symptoms. Here are some of those symptoms:
- Loss of balance: How is your balance impacted by hearing loss? Well, your inner ear is incredibly significant to your total equilibrium. So when hearing loss impacts your inner ear, you might find yourself a bit more likely to grow dizzy, experience vertigo, or have difficulty keeping your balance. Essentially, you have a tendency to fall more often.
- High-frequency sounds get lost: When you go into an arena, you know how even if you close your eyes, you can detect that you’re in a huge space? Or when you get into a car and you immediately know you’re in close quarters? That’s because your ears are utilizing high-pitched sounds to help you “echolocate,” more or less. You will lose the ability to quickly make those judgment calls when hearing loss causes you to lose those high-pitched tones. Loss of situational awareness and disorientation can be the result.
- Exhaustion: When you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss, your ears are always straining, and your brain is often working extra hard. Your brain will be constantly tired as a consequence. An exhausted brain is less likely to notice that obstacle in your path, and, as a consequence, you might end up tripping and falling over something that an alert brain would have noticed.
- You have less situational awareness: You might not be able to hear the sound of your neighbor’s footsteps, the dog barking next door, or an approaching vehicle when you have untreated hearing loss. Your situational awareness may be substantially affected, in other words. Can hearing loss make you clumsy in this way? Well, in a way yes, everyday activities can become more hazardous if your situational awareness is compromised. And that means you might be slightly more likely to unintentionally bump into something, and have a fall.
- Depression: Social solitude and maybe even mental decline can be the consequence of neglected hearing loss. When you’re socially separated, you may be more likely to spend time at home, where tripping hazards are everywhere, and be less likely to have help nearby.
Age is also a consideration when it comes to hearing loss-induced falls. As you grow older, you’re more likely to experience permanent and progressive hearing loss. At the same time, you’re more likely to take a tumble. Consequently, when you get older, falls are more likely to have serious repercussions.
How can the risk of falling be decreased by using hearing aids?
If hearing loss is part of the problem, it makes sense that hearing aids would be part of the remedy. And new research has borne that out. Your risk of falling could be reduced by up to 50% based on one study.
In the past, these figures (and the link between hearing aids and remaining on your feet) were a little bit less clear. In part, that’s because not everyone wears their hearing aids all of the time. So it was inconclusive how frequently hearing aid users were falling. This was because individuals weren’t using their hearing aids, not because their hearing aids were malfunctioning.
But this new research took a different (and maybe more accurate) strategy. Those who wore their hearing aids frequently were classified into a different group than those who wore them intermittently.
So why does wearing your hearing aids help you avoid falls? In general, they keep you more alert, more concentrated, and less tired. The increased situational awareness also helped. Many hearing aids also include a feature that can notify the authorities and family members in case of a fall. This can mean you get help quicker (this is critical for people older than 65).
But the key here is to be sure you’re using your hearing aids frequently and consistently.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
Hearing aids can help you reunite with your friends, enjoy quality moments with your family members, and stay connected to everyone who’s important in your life.
They can also help you stay on your feet, literally!
Schedule an appointment with us today if you want to learn more about how your quality of life can be improved.