People over the age of 65 have an increased risk of falling. Many falls are preventable, meaning they are caused by some underlying problem that if diagnosed early, can be prevented. Some of the common causes of falls are related to vision issues and dizziness caused by medications or other illnesses.
More recent research has linked untreated hearing loss to a significant increase in risk of falls. A study in 2012 found that people with a mild hearing loss were 3 times more likely to have a history of falling compared to those with no hearing loss. People with mild hearing loss were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling than those with no hearing loss. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss meant an increased 1.4-fold risk of falling.
This is a relatively new area of research and the underlying mechanisms of hearing loss and increased risk of falling are not fully understood. The current theory is that hearing loss decreases your awareness of the surrounding environment and this will increase your cognitive load because you need to allocate more resources to hearing and understanding speech. This means, less resources are available for other bodily functions such as maintaining balance. This also means the patient may not notice an uneven ground in front of them and if they begin to fall they have less resources to steady themselves.
Hearing aids can benefit by reducing the cognitive load for patients and to help them be more aware of their surroundings. One of the first things people say in my office after they have been fit with hearing aids, is that they can now hear their footsteps.
This is important information for body awareness and balance.
For more information about the 2012 study see “Hearing Loss Triples Risk of Falling: Study. 2012