When you’re a kid, falling is just a part of life. Taking a tumble on your bicycle? That’s normal. Getting tripped up while sprinting across the yard. Also pretty typical. Kids are pretty limber so, no big deal. They don’t usually stay down for very long.
As you grow older though, that becomes less and less true. The older you get, the more worrisome a fall can become. One reason for this is that bones break easier and heal slower when you’re older. Older people might have a harder time standing back up after a fall, so they spend more time in pain lying on the floor. Falling is the leading injury-associated cause of death as a result.
It’s not surprising, then, that healthcare professionals are always on the lookout for tools and devices that can decrease falls. New research seems to indicate that we may have determined one such device: hearing aids.
Can falls be caused by hearing loss
If you want to fully grasp how hearing aids could potentially prevent a fall, you need to ask this relevant question: is it feasible that hearing loss can increase your risk of having a fall? It appears as if the answer might be, yes.
So the question is, why would the danger of falling be raised by hearing loss?
That association isn’t really that intuitive. After all, hearing loss does not directly influence your ability to move or see. But it turns out there are some symptoms of hearing loss that do have this kind of direct effect on your ability to get around, and these symptoms can result in a higher danger of having a fall. Here are a few of those symptoms:
- Loss of balance: How does hearing loss impact your balance? Well, your inner ear is very important to your total equilibrium. So when hearing loss affects your inner ear, you may find yourself a bit more likely to grow dizzy, experience vertigo, or have trouble keeping your balance. Essentially, you have a tendency to fall more frequently.
- High-frequency sounds get lost: When you go into a stadium, you know how even if you close your eyes, you can tell you’re in a huge space? Or how you can instantly detect that you’re in a small space when you get into a vehicle. Your ears are actually utilizing something like “echolocation” and high-frequency sound to help your spatial awareness. When you’re unable to hear high-frequency sounds because of hearing loss, you can’t make those assessments quite as rapidly or easily. Loss of situational awareness and disorientation can be the outcome.
- You have less situational awareness: You might not be capable of hearing the sound of your neighbor’s footsteps, the barking dog next door, or an oncoming vehicle when you have neglected hearing loss. Your situational awareness may be significantly impacted, in other words. Can hearing loss make you clumsy in this way? Well, kind of, loss of situational awareness can make everyday tasks slightly more hazardous. And your chance of stumbling into something and having a fall will be a little higher.
- Exhaustion: When you have untreated hearing loss, your ears are always straining, and your brain is always working overtime. Your brain will be continuously exhausted as a result. An exhausted brain is less likely to see that obstacle in your path, and, as a consequence, you might wind up tripping and falling over something that an alert brain would have noticed.
- Depression: Neglected hearing loss can lead to social isolation and depression (along with an increased danger of dementia). When you’re socially separated, you might be more likely to stay at home, where tripping dangers abound, and be less likely to have help nearby.
Age is also a consideration with regard to hearing loss-associated falls. As you get older, you’re more likely to develop irreversible and progressive hearing loss. At the same time, you’re more likely to have a fall. Consequently, when you get older, falls are more likely to have serious repercussions.
How can hearing aids help minimize falls?
If hearing loss is part of the issue, it makes sense that hearing aids should be part of the remedy. And this is being confirmed by new research. One recent study found that wearing hearing aids could cut your risk of a fall in half.
In the past, these figures (and the relationship between hearing aids and staying upright) were a little bit less clear. That’s partially because individuals often fail to wear their hearing aids. As a consequence, falls among “hearing aid users” were frequently inconclusive. This was because individuals weren’t wearing their hearing aids, not because their hearing aids were malfunctioning.
But this new study took a different (and perhaps more accurate) approach. Individuals who used their hearing aids often were classified into a different group than those who wore them occasionally.
So why does wearing your hearing aids help you avoid falls? Generally speaking, they keep you more vigilant, more focused, and less tired. It also helps that you have increased spatial awareness. Many hearing aids also include a feature that can notify the authorities and family members in case of a fall. Help will come faster this way.
Consistently using your hearing aids is the key here.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
You will be able to stay close to your loved ones if you use hearing aids, not to mention catch up with friends.
They can also help you stay on your feet, literally!
If you want to know more about how hearing aids could help you, schedule an appointment with us today.