Kids tend to fall on a daily basis. Taking a spill on your bicycle? That’s normal. Getting tripped up while sprinting across the yard. Happens every day. It isn’t really a worry because, well, kids are kind of limber. They rebound quite easily.
The same can’t be said as you get older. The older you get, the more concerning a fall can be. To some extent, that’s because your bones tend to break more easily (and heal more slowly). Older individuals may have a harder time standing back up after a tumble, so they spend more time in pain on the floor. Because of this, falls are the number one injury-connected cause of death in people over 65.
That’s why tools and devices that can decrease falls are always being sought out by healthcare professionals. New research appears to suggest that we may have found one such device: hearing aids.
Can hearing loss bring about falls?
If you want to fully grasp how hearing aids could possibly prevent a fall, you need to ask this related question: is it feasible that hearing loss can increase your risk of having a fall? In some instances, it appears that the answer is a definite affirmative.
So you have to ask yourself, 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 see or move. But this sort of direct impact on your mobility, and an increased risk of falling, can be a result of some hearing loss symptoms. Here are some of those symptoms:
- Loss of balance: How is your balance affected by hearing loss? Well, your inner ear is very significant to your total equilibrium. So when hearing loss impacts your inner ear, you might find yourself a bit more likely to grow dizzy, experience vertigo, or have trouble keeping your balance. As a result of this, you may fall down more frequently.
- Depression: Neglected hearing loss can cause social isolation and depression (along with an increased risk of dementia). When you’re socially isolated, you might be more likely to spend time at home, where tripping hazards are everywhere, and be less likely to have help close at hand.
- Exhaustion: When you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss, your ears are always straining, and your brain is always working overtime. Your brain will be constantly tired as a consequence. An attentive brain will identify and avoid obstacles, which will reduce the likelihood of having a fall.
- Your situational awareness is impaired: When you have untreated hearing loss, you might not be as able to hear that approaching vehicle, or the barking dog next to you, or the sound of your neighbor’s footsteps. In other words, your situational awareness may be significantly affected. Can you become clumsy like this because of hearing loss? Well, sort of, loss of situational awareness can make daily activities a little more hazardous. And that means you could be slightly more likely to accidentally stumble into something, and take a tumble.
- High-pitched sounds get lost: When you go into an arena, you know how even if your eyes are closed, 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 car. That’s because your ears are utilizing high-pitched sounds to help you “echolocate,” basically. You will lose the ability to rapidly make those assessments when hearing loss causes you to lose those high-pitched tones. This can result in disorientation and loss of situational awareness.
Age is also a factor when it comes to hearing loss-related falls. You’re more likely to experience progressing and irreversible hearing loss. At the same time, you’re more likely to have a fall. And when you’re older, falling can have much more serious consequences.
How can the risk of falling be lowered by wearing hearing aids?
It seems logical that hearing aids would be part of the solution when hearing loss is the problem. And this is being confirmed by new research. One recent study discovered that using hearing aids could cut your risk of a fall in half.
The connection between remaining on your feet and hearing loss wasn’t always this clear. In part, that’s because not everybody wears their hearing aids all of the time. So it was inconclusive how frequently hearing aid users were having a fall. This was because people weren’t using their hearing aids, not because their hearing aids were malfunctioning.
But this new research took a different (and maybe more accurate) approach. Individuals who wore their hearing aids now and again were separated from people who used them all of the time.
So how can you avoid falls by using hearing aids? They keep you less fatigued, more focused, and generally more vigilant. The added situational awareness doesn’t hurt either. Many hearing aids also include 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).
Regularly using your hearing aids is the key here.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
You will be able to remain close to your family members if you wear hearing aids, not to mention catch up with friends.
They can also help prevent a fall!
If you want to learn more about how hearing aids could help you, schedule an appointment with us today.