become serious health concerns. Every 11 seconds, a senior will visit an emergency room seeking treatment for a fall in the US. Many of these people receive the treatment they need and can be fully mobile going forward, but others find that the fall leads to ongoing health concerns. In light of the seriousness of these incidents, it is important to do what you can to prevent them.
If you are concerned about falls, there are steps you can take to make yourself safer. Although it might come as a big surprise, treating hearing loss is one way to prevent accidents and falls. How does this work? It turns out that our hearing is a way to orient ourselves toward our surroundings, and this ability is particularly helpful at preventing falls at home and while you’re out and about.
Let’s consider the health risks associated with falls, as well as some of the research explaining the connection between hearing loss and the likelihood of a fall.
Accidental Injuries and Falls
Falls are increasingly common as we age, and they can lead to serious issues for mobility and ongoing health. Those who have a serious fall can have a fracture that inhibits mobility in the short- and long term. Hip injuries are particularly risky for seniors, sometimes leading to a chain reaction of health problems. Limitations to mobility can cause other health problems, including both physical issues, such as cardiovascular health challenges, and mental health issues arising from social isolation. It is essential to prevent falls in the ways you can. Some of the ways to prevent falls have to do with physical fitness. Remaining agile is related to strength and flexibility, and regular exercise is a way to not only prevent falls but also to set yourself up for a fast and complete recovery.
Hearing Loss and Falls
In addition to improving your physical fitness, getting treatment for hearing loss is connected to fewer accidental injuries and falls. How can we explain this connection? In some cases, there is a direct relationship between hearing loss and a serious accident. If there is an oncoming object, you might not be able to hear its approach, leading to a serious accident. However, the strong statistical relationship between hearing loss and falls shows experts that there is something more going on. They speculate that we use a subtle echolocation effect to orient ourselves in space. We can hear the way that sound bounces off surfaces and objects, giving us a better sense of our orientation in a room. When we can hear these subtle sonic relationships, we can avoid running into objects or tripping over things in our way.
A recent study from Washington University in St. Louis gives us a sense of this relationship. They studied 14 people over the age of 65 who had hearing loss. They gave these study participants a number of tasks, such as standing on a thick foam pad or standing on one foot or the other. They had the group perform these tasks with hearing aids in place and without hearing aids. As predicted, the participants had better balance when wearing hearing aids, even when they didn’t realize that they were listening differently.
Supporting Your Balance
If you know that you have balance issues, you can take these steps toward improvement. Physical fitness makes a big difference, but getting treatment for hearing loss can help you as well. The first step to take is to schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
We will begin with a consultation about the situations that make hearing difficult for you. We will also perform a hearing test to get a better sense of your hearing ability and the type of hearing aids that can best improve your communication ability. We can also talk about your concerns about accidental injuries and falls, making sure that your hearing is assisted in ways that improve your lifestyle at home and when you’re out and about. If you have a family member whose balance concerns you, encourage that person to make the call.