Last week we talked about the potential consequences of untreated hearing loss. This week we will delve into a little more detail on the relationship between untreated hearing loss and the increased risk of falling.
Research performed by Frank Lin and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that even with a mild hearing loss, people were approximately three times more likely to have a history of falling. With every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, the likelihood of falling increased by 1.3 fold. A potential reason for this is listening with hearing loss takes additional resources that could be devoted elsewhere, and balance may be an area suffering the consequences. Another possibility is individuals with untreated hearing loss are less aware of their environment, making them more susceptible to tripping and falling.
Now that we’ve discussed the many ways hearing loss can influence a person’s life, what can you do about it? Check back for our post next week that will discuss some of the steps you can take to be informed about your hearing health.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Doctor of Audiology, contact Gardner Audiology at 1-800-277-1182 or email info@gardneraudiology.
