Kids have a tendency to fall pretty much every day. Taking a tumble on your bicycle? Not unusual. Tripping over your own feet while you’re running outside? Also fairly normal. Kids are pretty limber so, no big deal. They don’t typically stay down for very long.
The same can’t be said as you get older. The older you get, the more worrisome a fall can be. In part, that’s because your bones generally break more easily (and heal more slowly). Older individuals tend to spend more time on the floor in pain because they have a more difficult time getting back up. Consequently, falls are the number one injury-related cause of death in individuals 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 indicate that we might have found one such device: hearing aids.
Can hearing loss cause falls?
If you want to know how hearing aids could possibly prevent a fall, you need to ask this relevant question: does hearing loss make you more likely to fall in the first place? It looks as though the answer might be, yes.
So the question is, why would the danger of falling be raised by hearing loss?
That association isn’t exactly intuitive. Hearing loss doesn’t really, after all, impact your ability to move or see. But this type of direct impact on your mobility, and an increased danger of falling, can be a consequence of some hearing loss symptoms. Some of those symptoms include:
- Loss of balance: How is your balance impacted by hearing loss? Well, your overall balance depends heavily on your inner ear. So when hearing loss impacts your inner ear, you might find yourself a little more likely to grow dizzy, experience vertigo, or have trouble maintaining your balance. As a result of this, you may fall down more frequently.
- You can’t hear high-frequency sounds: 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 when you jump into a car and you immediately know you’re in close quarters? Your ears are actually utilizing something like “echolocation” and high-frequency sound to help your spatial awareness. When you can no longer hear high-frequency sounds due to hearing loss, you can’t make those judgments quite as rapidly or easily. This can lead to disorientation and loss of situational awareness.
- Your situational awareness is impaired: 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 could be significantly affected, in other words. Can you become clumsy in this way because of hearing loss? Well, in a way yes, everyday tasks can become more hazardous if your situational awareness is compromised. And that means you could be slightly more likely to unintentionally stumble into something, and have a fall.
- Exhaustion: Your brain is working overtime and you’re always straining when you have neglected hearing loss. Your brain will be continuously tired as a result. A weary brain is less likely to notice that obstacle in your path, and, as a result, you may wind up tripping and falling over something that an attentive brain would have seen.
- Depression: Social isolation and possibly even cognitive decline can be the result of untreated hearing loss. When you’re socially separated, you may be more likely to spend time at home, where tripping hazards abound, and be less likely to have help close at hand.
Age is also a factor with regard to hearing loss-related falls. As you age, you’re more likely to experience permanent and progressive hearing loss. That will increase the likelihood of falling. And when you’re older, falling can have much more severe consequences.
How can the danger of falling be lowered by wearing hearing aids?
It makes sense that hearing aids would be part of the remedy when hearing loss is the problem. And this is being validated by new research. Your danger of falling could be reduced by up to 50% based on one study.
In the past, these numbers (and the connection between hearing aids and remaining upright) were a bit less clear. That’s partially because individuals frequently fail to wear their hearing aids. As a consequence, falls among “hearing aid users” were often inconclusive. This wasn’t because the hearing aids weren’t working, it was because individuals weren’t wearing them.
The method of this study was carried out differently and maybe more precisely. Individuals who wore their hearing aids frequently were put in a different group than those who wore them occasionally.
So how can you avoid falls by using hearing aids? Generally speaking, they keep you more vigilant, more concentrated, and less exhausted. It doesn’t hurt that you have added situational awareness. Additionally, many hearing aids come with safety features designed to activate in the case of a fall. This can mean you get assistance quicker (this is essential for individuals 65 or older).
But the key here is to make sure you’re wearing your hearing aids often and regularly.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
Hearing aids can help you catch up with your friends, enjoy quality moments with your loved ones, and stay connected to everyone who’s significant in your life.
They can also help prevent a fall!
Make an appointment with us today if you want to learn more about how your quality of life can be improved.
