Research has shown a strong association between hearing loss and an increased risk of falls. Even mild hearing difficulties may affect how well a person interprets environmental cues that help maintain spatial awareness and balance. The inner ear plays an important role in both hearing and equilibrium, which is why certain inner ear conditions can affect your ability to stay steady.
Hearing Loss and Your Overall Health
If you care for an older adult, monitoring their hearing and balance is an important part of supporting their overall health and safety. Hearing difficulties and balance concerns can sometimes occur together, making it important to recognize the signs and seek appropriate evaluation.
However, balance disorders are not limited to seniors or individuals with hearing loss. Maintaining balance requires several body systems to work together, including the muscles, bones, joints, eyes, and vestibular system in the inner ear. Problems affecting any of these systems can contribute to dizziness, unsteadiness, or difficulty maintaining balance.
Types of Balance Disorders
Balance disorders can make you feel dizzy, unsteady, or disoriented. These sensations may occur while sitting, standing, walking, or lying down. You may also experience a feeling of spinning, floating, or movement when you are still.
Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disorder that can cause episodes of vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the affected ear. Symptoms can vary in frequency and severity and may affect your balance and daily activities.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo occurs when tiny calcium crystals become dislodged from their normal position in the inner ear and move into the semicircular canals. It is one of the most common causes of vertigo. People with BPPV may experience brief spinning sensations when turning over in bed, looking upward, or changing head positions.
Untreated Hearing Loss and Balance Concerns
Untreated hearing loss can affect communication, social interactions, and awareness of environmental sounds. Research also suggests an association between hearing loss and an increased risk of falls. If you experience hearing difficulties along with dizziness or unsteadiness, a comprehensive evaluation can help identify potential contributing factors.
Regardless of your age, addressing hearing and balance concerns early can help you better understand your symptoms and explore appropriate care options.
Balance Assessment and Personalized Care
A comprehensive balance assessment can help identify possible causes of dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness. At SoundEar Audiology, our assessment includes several evaluations to understand your hearing and balance concerns, including:
- Dizziness Questionnaire: Helps identify your specific symptoms and distinguish between different types of balance problems.
- Comprehensive Hearing Assessment: Evaluates hearing thresholds, speech comprehension, eardrum mobility, and inner ear function.
- Visual Tracking Test: Helps distinguish between different types of vertigo disorders and assess the severity of certain conditions.
- Standing and Walking Tests: Help evaluate balance, identify possible contributing factors, and determine the type and severity of balance difficulties.
Based on the assessment findings, our team can help manage conditions that fall within our scope of practice. When additional care is needed, we provide referrals to appropriate healthcare professionals for further evaluation and management.
Schedule a Balance Assessment in Saskatoon
If you are experiencing dizziness, recurring vertigo, or difficulty maintaining your balance, a professional evaluation can help you understand what may be causing your symptoms. At SoundEar Audiology, we offer safe and painless balance assessments in Saskatoon, SK, to help identify potential causes and guide appropriate next steps.
Most balance tests can be completed in less than an hour. To learn more or schedule your assessment, call or text SoundEar Audiology at 306-994-8123 or visit our Balance Testing page.