The Role Of Hearing Loss In The Development Of Balance And Coordination Problems

Balance and coordination problems can have a variety of different causes – the vast majority of which will be connected to brain function. One of these causes is hearing loss, although hearing loss alone won’t be the only factor. There is actually a lot to consider.

The truth is that the ear is a much more complex organ than the layperson might think, and it will link to a variety of other processes throughout the body. This includes the fact that this is the place where your vestibular system is found, and it is this that regulates your sense of balance and even your spatial orientation. If your vestibular system is damaged or compromised in some way, your balance will be off – potentially in a debilitating way. Read on to find out more about how hearing loss can cause issues with your balance and coordination.

What Controls Your Balance?

Not being able to keep your balance as you move is not the only symptom of a balance disorder you need to consider. Other symptoms to watch out for include confusion, dizziness, a floating feeling, faintness, vertigo, blurred vision and general unsteadiness. You might suffer from one of these symptoms or a whole host of them, but the answer is generally the same; you have a balance problem.

If you are experiencing these problems, it could be down to your labyrinth, which is a maze-like (hence the name) system of bone and tissue within the ear. It is part of the vestibular system, which works together with your vision to ensure the brain understands where it is and how to move the body in relation to that space. If any of these elements are not functioning as they should, you will find your coordination is off, and your balance is failing.

Why Is Your Balance Important?

If you experience a little dizziness once in a while, perhaps when you stand up quickly, for example, you may not think anything of it. It doesn’t affect your quality of life, and it isn’t something that lasts for too long; within a few minutes or even seconds, it has completely gone.

However, for people who have a more serious and chronic balance or coordination problem, it can have much bigger and more negative consequences. You might find that you can no longer work, drive or even live independently.

Not only this, but the older you get, the more dangerous falls – even around the house – can be. Your bones will become more brittle, and a fall that might not have caused an injury in the past can lead to broken bones as you age. These breaks will take longer to heal and, again, can cause significant disruption to your life.

How Is Hearing Loss Involved?

If you have problems with your inner ear, this could lead to problems with your vestibular system, and that could lead to problems with your balance. And what causes problems in your inner ear? Among other things, hearing loss. There, it’s true that hearing loss can certainly be a contributing factor to the development of balance and coordination problems. However, it’s important to be aware of the fact that not everyone with hearing loss will also have balance, and not everyone with balance issues will experience hearing loss.

So it’s not hearing loss that causes these problems with your balance and coordination, in other words, but instead, it is more likely to be an underlying condition within the inner ear, the result of which is both hearing loss and balance problems. Examples of this could include low blood flow and poor circulation within the inner ear, an ear infection or perhaps a head injury.

It should be noted that there are many things that can cause coordination and balance issues that don’t also affect your hearing. These could include arthritis, the side effects of some medications, eye muscle imbalance, tumors or low blood pressure.

It is for this reason that you should seek a doctor’s help first if you find you are suffering from balance problems. Depending on their findings, they might suggest you also get some assistance from an audiologist – it’s always wise to follow a doctor’s instructions, in any case, to be sure of a more positive outcome.

If you know that your balance and coordination problems stem from your hearing loss, the best thing to do is make an appointment with the experts at Rametta Audiology & Hearing Aid Center. Give our Tarentum office a call at: (724) 409-4439 or reach Vandergrift at: (724) 567-3233 to book an appointment. It might be that once your hearing loss is treated, your balance also improves.