Why Do Balance Disorders Accompany Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss and balance disorders can sometimes accompany each other. This is because our sense of hearing and our sense of balance are both produced within our ears. As a result, certain health problems that affect the ears can impact both. This post explains more about the relationship between balance disorders and hearing loss.

How Does Our Sense of Balance Work?

Balance can almost be viewed as a sixth sense. It helps us to steady ourselves while moving. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to stand upright or carry out many physical tasks without falling over.

It is controlled by a collection of tubes in the inner ear known as the vestibular system. Three circular loops make up the vestibular system, each of which helps to detect a different type of movement: up and down or left and right and tilt. Each one of these tubes is filled with a fluid which moves in response to a certain type of movement. When the fluid moves, a signal is sent to our brain that helps us to react to this movement so that we can steady our body into the right position.

There are many things that can cause our sense of balance to stop working properly. Alcohol, drugs, circulation problems, head injuries and poor vision can all have a negative impact on our sense of balance. And then there is hearing loss, which can also have a major impact. Symptoms of a balance disorder include vertigo and sometimes nausea and sickness.

How Are Hearing Loss and Balance Disorders Connected?

Hearing loss and balance are both controlled by different parts of the ear. However, certain ear problems can affect more than one part of the ear – which may result in both balance and hearing being affected. The labyrinth of the inner ear contains both the vestibular system and the cochlear. Problems affecting the labyrinth can impact both our balance and sense of hearing.

Two examples of conditions that affect both hearing and balance include labyrinthitis and Meniere’s disease. The former, labyrinthitis, is caused by an infection in the inner ear. The latter, Meniere’s disease, is caused by a build-up of pressure in the inner ear. Both can cause hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus.

Do All Forms of Hearing Loss Affect Balance?

Not everyone with hearing loss will experience balance issues, just as not everyone with a balance disorder will experience hearing loss. It all depends on whether the inner ear is affected, as this controls both senses.

Age-related hearing loss is generally down to wear and tear within the ear. This wear and tear may only affect the middle ear, in which case balance is unlikely to be affected. However, in many cases, age-related hearing loss is caused by changes in the inner ear, in which case both balance and hearing can be affected.

Hearing loss as a result of noise exposure will generally not cause balance issues. That said, some people find that by having reduced hearing loss in one or both ears, their sense of balance is slightly thrown off.

How Are Balance Disorders Treated?

There are many different ways to treat balance disorders. These depend largely on the cause of the balance disorder. A few examples of treatment may include:

• Antibiotics to remove an infection
• Medication to control vertigo
• Balance retraining exercises

Some people find that hearing aids can also help with balance disorder symptoms like vertigo simply by equalizing hearing in each ear. However, you’re unlikely to be prescribed a hearing aid solely for vertigo as the main function of these devices is to help treat hearing loss. Some people falsely believe that a hearing aid will worsen vertigo, but this is typically not the case at all.

All in all, you should get a hearing aid if you experience hearing loss – whether or not this is accompanied by a balance disorder. Treatment for balance disorders can still be provided alongside wearing a hearing aid for hearing loss. An audiologist will be able to provide further advice on treating both conditions.

Visit The Hearing Clinic at Woodlake to get the advice and treatment you need. We provide diagnostic audiologic evaluations to help you with any problems that may be affecting your ears. We can help supply a hearing aid and also help you explore treatment options for balance disorders. Talk to your audiologist today about hearing loss and balance disorders. Call us at (612) 246-4868 today to book an appointment.