Many patients have told me that after they started using hearing aids, they noticed a greater sense of balance and stability. But is there scientific evidence to support this?
The Research on Hearing Aids and Balance
A small study reviewed in Medical News Today was among the first to show a statistically significant improvement in balance when participants with both hearing loss and balance issues wore hearing aids. The research found that these individuals performed better on balance tests while using their hearing devices.
While this study had a small sample size, its findings align with what many hearing specialists and patients have reported for years: hearing aids don’t just improve hearing—they may also help with postural stability.
Why Hearing Aids Can Improve Balance
The inner ear plays a crucial role in both hearing and balance. When hearing is impaired, the brain has to work harder to process sound, which can take focus away from maintaining equilibrium. By restoring auditory input, hearing aids may help free up cognitive resources, leading to better stability.
Should You Consider Hearing Aids?
Some patients hesitate to get hearing aids due to concerns about cost, discomfort, or maintenance. However, for older adults at risk of falls, the benefits may far outweigh the drawbacks.
Hearing aids can:
✅ Improve hearing clarity, reducing social isolation.
✅ Help the brain process environmental cues, enhancing spatial awareness.
✅ Potentially improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
If you or a loved one experiences hearing loss and struggles with balance, it may be worth consulting an audiologist to explore whether hearing aids are the right choice. Now we have some evidence that hearing aides can improve balance.
Related Research
This turns out to be a controversial topic these days.
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The content and any comments by Dr. Kim Bell, DPT are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that Dr. Bell might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
I’m 72 and was diagnosed with severe hearing loss to high frequencies 10 years ago. I had also noticed gradual decline in my balance. I’ve had hearing aids in both ears for the first time for less than a week. I have noticed a significant improvement in my balance. No one ever mentioned to me that my imbalance may be related to hearing loss. I just reviewed this article and it sure makes sense to me that hearing aids have improved my balance.
Around age 80 I had mono-vision cataract surgery (one lens for far vision- one lens for close-up) – which (1) eliminated any depth perception, (2) started wearing hearing aids due to serious hearing loss (not yet full time) and (3) also started high blood pressure medication for a metric happy doctor though still considered in the ever changing “normal zone” for people over age 80..
The combination of all three radical changes in life at the same time, made my life feel woozy, tippy, with huge loss in quality of life and untenable HBP side effects – I tired all four of them.
I became very timid going out and retreated. Along with “covid” I was in full retreat from the human race so I was never forced to accommodate to these new compromises in my life. Short term memory also getting frail.
Now that I am wearing my hearing aids more, stopped all HBP medications and doing eye focusing exercise for mono-vision eyesight, I feel I am slowly getting my life back as I once knew it. I feel more grounded, stable and engaged again.
Yes, wearing my hear aids gives me a fuller connection with my environment, so I think they are on to something here. Three disjointed but typical events happening to a senior -but not directly connected to the medical world – I blamed the HBP medication most, but now that I am off those medication, there is still residual collective impacts which get a little better every day. Heart, eyes ,ear, brain -all getting assaulted by outside changes at the same time. It was too much all at once!