The Link Between Balance and Hearing

The link between balance and hearing is often not connected by many people. However, what happens in your ear, especially your inner ear significantly affects your balance. For every decibel of hearing, you lose your chances of being off balance and falling increase. This is why elderly people are so prone to falling in some cases.

Hearing loss is very common when you age. It is often considered a natural part of the aging process. Since hearing loss directly affects the inner ear, it makes it more likely for elderly people to fall.

The Functions of the Inner Ear

As mentioned before, the inner ear can have a big impact on balance. It consists of two sections. It is made up of the cochlea which is used for your hearing and the vestibular which is responsible for balance. The vestibular in the inner ear has looped cubes. There are three in each of your ears.

This vestibular system is extremely sensitive to any movements that you make. This is why spinning can make you feel nauseous and put you completely off balance. Once you understand how the inner ear works it is easy to see that any problems in the inner ear can cause you to feel off-centered.

Symptoms of Balance Issues

When you have balance issues it can often come with a specific set of symptoms. You may experience dizziness or nausea. You may feel like you are falling over or become lightheaded. Blurred vision is also another common symptom for those who are having balance problems. Confusion and feeling disoriented are other symptoms that may accompany a lack of balance.

Anyone with hearing loss may experience staggering while they are walking. For an elderly person, a lack of balance may not just be caused by problems with the inner ear. It can also be a result of high blood pressure and carrying excess weight. It is important to rule out these factors before visiting your audiologist.

The optimal approach is to consult an audiologist if you’re experiencing balance issues, they will be able to see if your balance issues are related to hearing loss. Your audiologist will be able to provide the best treatment plan for your hearing loss and related conditions.

How an Audiologist Can Help

An audiologist can apply several different treatment methods to help stop balance issues. The first set of treatments they may try is position treatments. Many people experience balance problems when they have to move their heads in a certain direction.

An audiologist will often test using the saccade procedure. This procedure is done by asking you to follow a marker with your eyes. These rapid eye movements will give clues about how delicate movements affect your balance. This will help your audiologist understand exactly why you are experiencing balance problems.

Audiologists also do vestibular rehabilitation with their patients. The vestibular rehabilitation program will train your balance system to become comfortable with specific movements once again. As you work with your audiologist to get your balancing system comfortable with certain positions once again you will experience fewer balancing issues.

Get Your Balance Issues Resolved

If you’re experiencing balancing issues it’s a good idea to see your audiologist as soon as you can. The sooner you visit your audiologist and let them know your symptoms, the quicker you can start getting treatment for this condition. If you have been to a general practitioner and are then referred to an audiologist, they will use the information that was gathered from your general practitioner to help create a treatment program for you.

Lack of balance is sometimes inevitable whenever you have hearing loss. However, by recognizing your symptoms, and sharing them with an audiologist, they will be better able to assess whether hearing loss is responsible for your lack of balance. You can get your hearing assessed by a qualified audiologist, learn more about ChEARS Hearing Center by contacting us at (619) 810-1204

Here’s a closer look at the impact that fatigue has on your hearing and what you can do to minimize it.

What Causes Listening Fatigue

When someone has hearing loss they must use cognitive skills and resources to listen to what others are saying. This increase in cognitive resources that are targeted towards listening more attentively is called listening effort. When you are using extra cognitive resources for listening it causes you to have fewer resources to allocate to other tasks that you need to do.

Listening more intently can mean that you are slower to respond verbally. The burning out of cognitive resources is one of the major reasons why you may experience listening fatigue. Whenever you have hearing loss, your brain has to do more work to compensate for the loss of your hearing. This means that it is doing double the work to process the same information that it would for a person who has no hearing loss. This can cause your brain to feel stressed and fatigue is the ultimate result.

Visit an Audiologist

The main way to handle hearing fatigue is to have your hearing checked by a licensed audiologist. Your audiologist will determine the level of hearing fatigue that you currently have. They will do this by asking relevant questions about your lifestyle and also testing your hearing. You may be experiencing hearing fatigue simply because you do not have the right fit of hearing aid. You may need to upgrade the hearing aid that you currently have to help reduce listening fatigue.

If you find that you’re not getting the optimal benefits from your current hearing aid, it’s possible that it may be experiencing a malfunction. Addressing this issue with your audiologist crucial for maximizing your hearing aid’s effectiveness. With the right hearing aid tailored to your specific hearing loss, you can experience a significant reduction in listening fatigue. By choosing a hearing aid that suits your needs, you open the door to improved listening comfort and a more enjoyable hearing experience.

Get Rest

An easy way to address hearing fatigue is simply by getting some rest. Stay away from listening to videos on social media apps, turn off the radio and stop watching television for a day or two. Try reading and going outdoors instead. Make things as quiet as possible since this will help with your listening fatigue.

Use Hearing Aids

Hearing aids will not only reduce your hearing fatigue but your mental fatigue as well. The important thing is to make sure that they are the right fit for you. If while fitting your hearing aid you have questions and concerns, always talk to your audiologist about them, this will ensure that you’re are getting the most out of your hearing aids.

Reduce Environmental Triggers

Your hearing loss may be caused by being in a specific environment. Try to avoid these loud environments as much as you can. If you can’t avoid loud environments because you are working in one, the best course of action is to protect your hearing as much as possible. You can talk with your audiologist about the different types of hearing protection and which will be best for you in these loud environments.

Another step you might want to take is simply to stop listening to loud music. Turn down the volume on your devices to acceptable levels when you are watching videos. Often there is an indicator on your volume button that shows when you are most likely to damage your hearing because of the loud volumes you are listening to.

Contact an Audiologist

As you can see there is a lot you may want to consider when you are experiencing hearing fatigue. There are many solutions for hearing fatigue and hearing loss. If you are having any problems at all with your hearing do not hesitate to consult with an audiologist. They can help you to quickly assess your levels of hearing fatigue so that you can get it treated as soon as possible. Learn more about ChEARS Hearing Center and how we can help by calling us today at 619-810-1204.