Many of us have felt that dizzy sensation from standing up too fast, or wobbled a little bit while climbing a log in Pohick Creek Stream Valley Park. When we have trouble balancing, our ears probably aren’t the first culprit that comes to mind, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to do with it.
The Research
A few recent studies have examined the connection between hearing loss and balance.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 studies with over five million participants found that hearing loss was correlated with a 51% higher cross-sectional odds and a 17% higher longitudinal risk of falls than in people without hearing loss. The results were consistent regardless of how the researchers measured hearing loss, how long they tracked participants and whether they took vision problems or other sensory conditions into consideration.
A study from 2013 backed up the association and suggested a few reasons for it, including the increased mental load of living with hearing loss, decreased background awareness and simultaneous dysfunction of the hearing and balance organs in the inner ear.
The Role of Hearing Aids
While a 2022 review found six studies demonstrating that hearing aid users had significantly better balance than their counterparts who did not use hearing aids, it also found four that showed no improvement, suggesting we need more high-quality studies to reach a definitive conclusion about the connection.
We do know that hearing aids can relieve some of the mental load of hearing loss and improve background awareness, potentially lessening the likelihood of falls related to those two causes.
Scheduling Hearing Checkups
Your hearing health impacts many aspects of your life, from your balance to your social connections to your work. Scheduling regular hearing checkups will ensure that we can diagnose and treat any potential hearing loss as early as possible.
For more information on the connection between your hearing loss and overall health or to schedule an appointment with one of our trusted specialists, contact ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia today.