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Hearing and Balance

The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Balance

Hearing loss doesn’t only affect your ability to hear and comprehend speech. It can also be connected to a variety of other health concerns, such as balance issues or vertigo. Our sense of balance is located within the cochlea, which is the same location of the hearing nerve deep inside the inner ear. If you have hearing loss that was the result of a head or ear injury, then you could experience issues with your sense of balance.

In fact, people who have hearing loss often report having trouble with feelings of dizziness and even experience an increase in falls.

How Is Our Hearing Connected to Our Balance?

Our balance system relies on the labyrinth, a maze of bone and tissue in the inner ear. In the labyrinth is the cochlea, which is where the hearing nerve is located. Near the cochlea are semicircular canals and the otolithic organs which are responsible for our sense of balance. This is where our body, along with our sight and touch, senses movement.

If you have problems with your dizziness, or you experience vertigo, then your balance issues could be caused by hearing loss. Problems with the inner ear that can be responsible for hearing loss can also lead to balance problems, dizziness, and even vertigo. Our ears are responsible for more than just hearing. They hold the vestibular system, so when you have hearing loss you can experience balance problems as well.

Balance problems and hearing loss do not always go together. You can have hearing loss without ever experiencing a problem with your balance, or you could have vertigo without having hearing loss. It’s important if you have hearing loss that is the result of a head or ear injury to seek immediate attention, so you don’t have additional problems with balance or experience falls in the future.

What Can You Do?

Taking care of your hearing health means you will feel better overall. Our ears are connected to our bodies and overall health, so it’s important to practice good ear health and visit us regularly for annual hearing check-ups.

If you are experiencing hearing loss and problems with your balance then call us today to make an appointment. We can help you by finding the cause of your hearing loss and dizziness and offer you solutions to help you feel better.