Kids have a tendency to fall on a daily basis. Wiping out on your bicycle? That’s typical. Getting tripped up when sprinting across the yard. Also rather typical. Kids are pretty limber so, no big deal. They bounce back very easily.
As you get older though, that becomes less and less true. The older you get, the more worrisome a fall can become. To some extent, that’s because your bones tend to break more easily (and heal slower). Older people may have a harder time getting up after a tumble, so they spend more time in pain on the floor. Falling is the leading injury-associated cause of death as a result.
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 might have determined one such device: hearing aids.
Can falls be caused by hearing loss
If you want to understand how hearing aids could potentially prevent a fall, you need to ask this relevant question: is it possible that hearing loss can raise your risk of having a fall? In some cases, it appears that the answer is a strong affirmative.
So why does hearing loss raise the risk of a fall for people?
There isn’t really an intuitive association. Hearing loss doesn’t really, after all, impact your ability to move or see. But this sort of direct impact on your mobility, and an increased danger of falling, can be a result of some hearing loss symptoms. Some of those symptoms include:
- Your situational awareness is impaired: When you have untreated hearing loss, you may not be as able to hear that approaching vehicle, or the barking dog next to you, or the sound of your neighbor’s footsteps. Your situational awareness could be significantly impacted, in other words. Can you become clumsy in this way because of hearing loss? Well, in a way yes, day-to-day tasks can become more dangerous if your situational awareness is jeopardized. And your chance of stumbling into something and having a fall will be slightly higher.
- Exhaustion: When you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss, your ears are constantly straining, and your brain is always working extra hard. This means your brain is tired more often than not. An alert brain will detect and steer clear of obstacles, which will reduce the chance of falling.
- Loss of balance: How can hearing loss impact your balance? Well, your inner ear is extremely important to your overall equilibrium. So you may find yourself dizzy, experience vertigo, and lose your balance when hearing loss impacts the inner ear. Essentially, you have a tendency to fall more often.
- Depression: Social isolation and maybe even mental decline can be the consequence of neglected hearing loss. When you’re socially isolated, you might be more likely to stay at home, where tripping hazards abound, and be less likely to have help close at hand.
- High-pitched sounds get lost: You know how when you go into an auditorium, you immediately know that you’re in a huge venue, even if your eyes are closed? Or how you can instantly detect that you’re in a small space when you get into a vehicle. That’s because your ears are utilizing high-frequency sounds to help you “echolocate,” basically. You will lose the ability to rapidly make those judgment calls when hearing loss causes you to lose those high-pitched tones. This can lead to disorientation and loss of situational awareness.
Age is also a consideration when it comes to hearing loss-induced falls. You’re more likely to experience progressing and permanent hearing loss. That will raise the chance of falling. As a result, when you get older, falls are more likely to have serious consequences.
How can hearing aids help decrease falls?
It seems logical that hearing aids would be part of the remedy when hearing loss is the problem. And this is being validated by new research. One recent study discovered that wearing hearing aids could cut your risk of a fall in half.
In the past, these figures (and the connection between hearing aids and staying upright) were a little fuzzier. Partly, that’s because not everybody uses their hearing aids all of the time. So it was inconclusive how often hearing aid users were having a fall. This wasn’t because the hearing aids were malfunctioning, it was because individuals weren’t using them.
The method of this study was carried out differently and maybe more accurately. Individuals who used their hearing aids now and again were segregated from people who used them all of the time.
So how can you prevent falls by using hearing aids? They keep you less fatigued, more focused, and generally more vigilant. It doesn’t hurt that you have increased situational awareness. In addition, many hearing aids include safety features designed to activate in the case of a fall. This can mean you get assistance quicker (this is crucial for individuals older than 65).
But the trick here is to be sure you’re using your hearing aids often and regularly.
Prevent falls with new hearing aids
You will be able to remain close to your loved ones if you wear hearing aids, not to mention catch up with friends.
They can also help you remain on your feet, literally!
If you want to learn more about how hearing aids could help you, schedule an appointment with us right away.