Dr. Sarah Sesslar, Au.D
Many of the causes of senior citizens falling and injuring themselves are preventable. Physicians routinely advise their older patients to exercise, have their vision checked. and monitor whether any medications may cause dizziness. Another contributor to falls is untreated hearing loss, which has been linked by multiple studies to a significant increase in risk of falls. This information needs to be shared widely with patients over the age of 65, along with encouragement to seek treatment for hearing loss as part of an overall strategy to preserve health and life.
“People with a 25-decibel hearing loss (classified as mild) were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling than those with no hearing loss. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss meant an increased 1.4-fold risk of falling.”1
Hearing aids make sounds in the environment audible, speech clearer, and music more enjoyable. When patients are no longer constantly worried that they won’t hear an approaching car or doorbell ring, can freely hear and understand the conversation and can enjoy the sounds of nature and beautiful music, cognitive load and stress decrease. They can fully engage in social activities and interactions with friends and family, and also in the hobbies and physical exercises that keep the body and mind active. In fact, there are now hearing aids that have been clinically proven to reduce listening effort based on brainwave measurements.2
Falls from hearing loss lead to injuries and hospitalization.
Falls are responsible for numerous injuries and deaths among Americans 65 and older. Older people commonly experience brain injuries, as well as hip and other bone fractures after a fall. Beyond the human cost, these serious conditions generate billions of dollars in healthcare expenses due to extended hospital stays, surgical interventions, and related treatments.
“Over BOOK patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture.”3
One of the most significant studies conducted to determine the connection between untreated hearing loss and falls, utilized data from the 2001-2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.4 This survey has regularly collected health data from thousands of Americans since 1971. More than 2,000 survey participants between the ages of 40 to 69 had their hearing tested and responded to the question, “Have you fallen during the past year?” Researchers also tested participants’ vestibular function in order to determine if their balance was being affected by hearing loss.
The lead researchers reported that people with mild hearing loss (25 decibels) were nearly three times as likely to have a history of falling. Every additional 10 dB of lost hearing increased the likelihood of falling by 1.4. Even after other factors (age, sex, race, cardiovascular disease and vestibular function) were considered, the findings held true.
Dr. Frank Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist who conducted this and several other studies on the broader implications of hearing loss, suggests the following possible reasons for the link to falls:
• People who can’t hear well might not have good awareness of their overall environment, increasing the potential to trip and fall
• Cognitive load increases in those with hearingcloss. The brain is overwhelmed with demands on its limited resources to maintain balance andcgait, while straining to hear and process auditorycinput
• Cochlear disorders may include vestibular dysfunction, leading to poor balance
” … a possible causal pathway between hearing loss and falling, are intriguing because hearing loss is highly prevalent but remains vastly undertreated in older adults.”5
The association between hearing loss and increased change of falling is considered clinically significant. Research is ongoing, but is reasonable to suggest that patients are made aware of the link between hearing loss and falls. Adults over the age of 55 should have their hearing tested annually and wear hearing aids when recommended by their hearing care professional.
Hearing loss decreases awareness of surrounding environment and increases cognitive load. In turn, this raises the potential for falls.
Call today and schedule your complimentary hearing test and consultation.
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1. USNews.com. (2012). Hearing Loss Triples Risk of Falling: Study.
( http://health.usnews.com/hea Ith-news/news/ articles/2012/
02/27 / hearing-loss-triples-risk-of -fa 11 in g-study).
2. Littmann, V., Froehlich, M., Beilin, J., Branda, E., & Schaefer, P. J.
(2016). Clinical studies show advanced hearing aid technology
reduces listening effort. Hearing Review, 23(4), 36.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query
and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. Accessed August 5, 2016.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control. National Center for Health
Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 2012.
5. Lin, F., & Ferrucci, L. (2012). Hearing Loss and Falls Among
Older Adults in the United States. JAMA Internal Medicine,
172(4), 369-371. (http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.
aspx?articleid-11087 40).