Falls and Accidents are More Likely with Hearing Loss

There are many things that happen and many health problems that can be caused by untreated hearing loss. Anyone who’s experiencing hearing loss should get it addressed sooner rather than later otherwise your health could be put at risk.

One thing that’s made more likely when you’re dealing with hearing loss is falling and injuring yourself. We’re going to talk more about the connection between these kinds of injuries and hearing loss today, so keep reading to find out more.

There’s a studied link between hearing loss and accidental injury

Studies have now found there that is a significant link between hearing loss and accidental injuries, such as those that are incurred during falls. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that hearing loss is treated, and these falls and injuries are less likely to take place. Once such study that assessed the link between falls and hearing loss was carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They found that those with mild hearing loss were around 60% more likely to falls and subsequent injuries than those without hearing loss issues. For those with moderate hearing loss, the likelihood increased to 70% more than those without hearing loss. Those with the highest levels of hearing loss were 90% more likely to fall and hurt themselves, showing a clear correlation between hearing loss severity and the chances of falling.

Awareness and surroundings

A lot of the reason why people who have hearing loss are more likely to fall and accidents is down to the fact that they have less awareness of their surroundings and what’s going on around them. If you can’t hear environmental sounds, you’re less aware of your surroundings and won’t spot threats and risks as quickly or as easily as people without hearing loss issues are able to.

There are other reasons why hearing loss is linked to these kinds of accidents too. People who have hearing loss are also likely to have problems with their balance because the two things are closely linked. And, of course, a lack of balance also results in falls. It’s especially easy for older people to fall if they have hearing loss because their balance and stability on their feet is likely to have decreased with their age, making the risk even greater.

Intervening and seeking treatment

Intervention is vital for people who are experiencing hearing loss. Hearing loss doesn’t need to lead to all of these problems such as falling and sustaining injuries, as long as the right treatment is sought. There are many interventions, most notably hearing aids. You should start by having your hearing tested and assessed by an audiologist and take things from there.

You’ll find that seeking treatment is less daunting than you might have thought, so you shouldn’t put it off if you feel that you might be experiencing any kind of hearing loss. It’s always better to have the problem discovered and understood than to run the risk of allowing things to get worse and going untreated. As we’ve discussed here, inaction can lead to potentially serious actions and injuries, so it’s not worth taking that risk.

The benefits of intervention

There are plenty of benefits that come with intervening and making sure that your hearing loss is properly addressed and dealt with. You’ll find that you’re far more likely to stay social and communicate effectively with those around you if your hearing is up to the standard at which it should be. You’ll also improve your balance and be less likely to experience falls as we discussed above.

There are lots of little problems that people tend to get used to when living with untreated hearing loss, but you don’t need to put up with those issues any longer. There is help and treatment options out there for you to make use of.

Get tested today

If you’re looking to make sure your hearing is properly looked after and any hearing loss is addressed by the right professional treatments, you should get tested. That allows you to see where your hearing is at and you can address any problems that are present.

Our team here at Desert Hearing Care can assist you with all of that and more. You can call us at (480) 374-1846 and a member of our team will be more than happy to discuss your needs with you and book an appointment for you to visit us and have a hearing test carried out.