It’s no secret that balance plays an important role in our ability to perform daily activities.
And as we age, it becomes even more critical to monitor our balance to maintain not
only our autonomy—but also our physical safety.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 older adults report
falling each year—that’s over 14 million people. Unfortunately, the likelihood of falls
increases as we grow older, and one common contributor may surprise you—untreated
hearing loss.
Studies prove that untreated hearing loss can increase the risk of falls by 30%. And the
more severe our hearing loss is, the more our chances of falling increase.
So, what is the connection between hearing loss and the loss of balance? Let’s
discuss.
Connection between hearing loss and balance starts in the ear
Did you know that the inner ear is directly tied to balance? The inner ear is home to your
vestibular system, which is a part of the inner ear and brain that controls our balance
(and eye movements).
The vestibular system is made up of three loop-shaped canals. These canals focus on
the rotation of our head. At the base of these canals are the utricle and saccule, which
detect our head’s position in gravity during up-and-down movement (example: moving
up and down in an elevator) and back-and-forth motion (example: driving backwards
and forwards in our vehicle).
