Hearing loss affects roughly one third of older adults in the United States, with the chance of it
developing increasing with each year of age. However, new research has shown that hearing
loss is not just an issue of conversation struggles and trouble responding to alarms. Science has
discovered that hearing loss also has a profound effect on balance.

Research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has shown that even mild
hearing loss can double the risk of falling. Likewise, a study in the Journal of American
Geriatrics Society suggests that seniors with a hearing loss are almost two and a half times
more likely to fall compared to someone of a similar age with good hearing.

And falls are a major contributor to injury and death for people over the age of 65.

According to Healthy Hearing, hearing loss likely increases the risk of falls for many reasons.
First, needing to concentrate harder to interpret sound could mean there are fewer mental
resources available to manage things like balance. Second, aging naturally affects both hearing
and balance due to a decline in receptors in the inner ear, often leading to dizziness. Third,
stable sound can act like an auditory anchor and help us balance. Without that anchor falls are
more likely. Fourth, hearing loss increases the risk of depression and depression is linked to
more falls.

For those who agreed to the use of hearing aids however, falls and the chance of falls were
reduced, sometimes greatly.

The results of the published research stated “analysis found 50% reduced odds of experiencing
a fall for hearing aid users compared with non-users. After adjusting for age, sex, hearing loss
severity, and medication usage, those who reported any hearing aid use still had lower odds of
falls and lower odds of being at risk for falls than non-users.”

Audiologist and researcher Laura Campos—the study’s lead author—noted, “The reduction was
even greater among those who wore hearing aids at least four hours per day. The effect size is
pretty significant. These consistent hearing aid users had even lower odds — up to 65% — of
falling.”

Seniors and their caregivers understand how difficult hearing loss can be to manage. They also
know the risks that come with an increased chance of falling. Suzy’s Senior Companionship
Services employs competent and kind professions skilled at helping senior citizens and their loved ones manage both issues.

The use of hearing aids is only one way to prevent the elderly from falling, but it could be the
easiest to implement with the best results. Dr. Frank Lin and Dr. Luigi Ferrucci called the
connection between hearing loss and falling “intriguing because hearing loss is highly prevalent
but remains vastly undertreated in older adults.”

For those interesting in learning more about preventing falls with the elderly, and how
caregivers can help manage the isolation and risks that often come with aging, contact Suzy’s Senior Services at 801-540-2077 for more in information.