When you’re a youngster, falling is just a part of life. Taking a spill on your bicycle? Not unusual. Getting tripped up while sprinting across the yard. Also pretty normal. Kids are pretty limber so, no big deal. They don’t usually stay down for long.
The same cannot be said as you age. Falling becomes more and more of a concern as you get older. To some extent, that’s because your bones tend to break more easily (and heal slower). Older people may have a harder time standing back up after a fall, so they spend more time in pain lying on the floor. Because of this, falls are the number one injury-connected cause of death in people older than 65.
It’s not surprising, then, that healthcare professionals are always on the hunt for tools and devices that can lessen falls. New research seems to suggest that we may have found one such device: hearing aids.
Can falls be caused by hearing loss
In order to figure out why hearing aids can help avert falls, it helps to ask a related question: does hearing loss make you more likely to fall to begin with? It seems as if the answer might be, yes.
So you have to ask yourself, why would the risk of falling be raised by hearing loss?
There isn’t exactly an intuitive association. Hearing loss doesn’t really, after all, affect your ability to see or move. But this kind of direct impact on your mobility, and an increased risk of falling, can be a consequence of some hearing loss symptoms. Some of those symptoms include:
- Exhaustion: When you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss, your ears are always straining, and your brain is often working overtime. This means your brain is worn out more often than not. An alert brain will detect and avoid obstacles, which will reduce the chance of falling.
- You can’t hear high-frequency sounds: You know how when you walk into a concert hall, you instantly know that you’re in a huge venue, even if you close your eyes? Or when you get into a car and you instantly know you’re in close quarters? That’s because your ears are utilizing high-pitched sounds to help you “echolocate,” more or less. When you’re unable to hear high-frequency sounds because of hearing loss, you can’t make those assessments quite as quickly or easily. This can bring about disorientation and loss of situational awareness.
- Loss of balance: How can hearing loss effect your balance? Well, your overall balance depends heavily on your inner ear. So when hearing loss impacts your inner ear, you may find yourself a bit more likely to grow dizzy, experience vertigo, or have difficulty maintaining your balance. In other words, you have a tendency to fall more frequently.
- Depression: Social isolation and possibly even mental decline can be the consequence of untreated hearing loss. When you’re socially separated, you may be more likely to stay at home, where tripping hazards are everywhere, and be less likely to have help close at hand.
- Your situational awareness is impaired: When you have neglected hearing loss, you may not be as able to hear that oncoming vehicle, or the barking dog beside you, or the sound of your neighbor’s footsteps. In other words, your situational awareness might be significantly affected. Can you become clumsy like this because of hearing loss? Well, in a way yes, daily tasks can become more hazardous if your situational awareness is jeopardized. And your risk of stumbling into something and falling will be slightly higher.
Part of the connection between hearing loss and falling is also in your age. You’re more likely to develop progressing and permanent hearing loss. That will increase the probability of falling. Consequently, when you get older, falls are more likely to have severe repercussions.
How can hearing aids help minimize falls?
If hearing loss is part of the issue, it makes sense that hearing aids would be part of the solution. And new research has borne that out. One recent study discovered that using hearing aids could cut your risk of a fall in half.
In the past, these numbers (and the connection between hearing aids and staying on your feet) were a little bit less clear. That’s partly because people often fail to wear their hearing aids. As a consequence, falls among “hearing aid users” were frequently inconclusive. This wasn’t because the hearing aids weren’t working, it was because people weren’t using them.
The method of this study was conducted differently and maybe more accurately. Those who used their hearing aids often were put in a different group than people who used them occasionally.
So why does wearing your hearing aids help you prevent falls? They keep you less fatigued, more concentrated, and generally more vigilant. The added situational awareness also helped. Many hearing aids also come with a feature that can notify the authorities and family members in case of a fall. This can mean you get assistance quicker (this is essential for people 65 or older).
But the trick here is to be certain you’re using your hearing aids often and regularly.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
Hearing aids can help you reunite with your friends, enjoy quality moments with your loved ones, and remain connected to everybody who’s significant in your life.
They can also help prevent a fall!
Schedule an appointment with us today if you want to find out more about how your quality of life can be improved.