By Sarah Sesslar, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology/Ear Nerd
March is Save Your Vision Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of eye health. While most people recognize how crucial vision is to daily life, fewer realize how closely our ability to see and hear are connected. As a Doctor of Audiology, I often remind patients that their ears and eyes work as a team to help them navigate the world, maintain balance, and communicate effectively.
If one sense begins to decline, the other has to compensate. When people experience hearing loss, they unknowingly start relying more on their vision—watching lip movements, facial expressions, and body language to fill in the gaps. Similarly, those with vision impairment lean on their hearing to identify their surroundings. But what happens when both begin to fade?
The Eyes and Ears: A Perfect Team
Your brain is constantly integrating information from both hearing and vision, making sense of your environment in real-time. Think about the last time you had a conversation in a noisy restaurant—your ears were processing speech while your eyes helped you focus on the speaker’s lips and expressions to piece together the words.
This connection is so strong that research shows vision can even alter what we hear. The McGurk Effect, for example, is a fascinating auditory illusion where your brain changes what you hear based on what your eyes see. If a person says “ba” but their lips form the shape of “fa,” you might hear “fa” instead of “ba” (McGurk & MacDonald, 1976).
But when either hearing or vision is impaired, this natural teamwork is disrupted—making everyday activities like conversation, walking, and driving more challenging.
The Brain’s Role: Why Dual Sensory Loss Matters
Hearing and vision aren’t just passive senses; they’re deeply linked to cognition and brain function. When one declines, the brain has to work harder to compensate, leading to:
• Cognitive Overload – Straining to hear or see pulls mental energy away from memory and focus.
• Increased Fall Risk – The inner ear plays a crucial role in balance, and vision is essential for spatial awareness. Older adults with hearing and vision loss are at a significantly higher risk of falls (Lin et al., 2012).
• Greater Dementia Risk – Studies show that untreated hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and when combined with vision impairment, the impact on brain health is even greater (Gurgel et al., 2014).
The takeaway? Hearing and vision should never be treated in isolation. They work together, and when one is neglected, it puts more strain on the other.
Why People Prioritize Vision Over Hearing
When vision changes, most people rush to the eye doctor to get glasses or contacts. But when hearing starts to fade, many ignore the signs—even though hearing loss is just as impactful on quality of life.
Some common reasons people delay hearing care include:
• They assume hearing loss is normal with age. (So is vision loss, but that doesn’t stop anyone from getting glasses!)
• They don’t realize how much they’re missing. Hearing loss happens gradually, so people adapt without noticing the slow decline.
• They think hearing aids won’t help. Today’s hearing technology is more advanced and discreet than ever, dramatically improving communication and cognitive health.
How to Protect Both Your Vision and Hearing
Since your eyes and ears work together, maintaining both is crucial for overall well-being. Here’s how you can protect these vital senses:
1. Schedule Regular Eye Exams – Vision changes can be gradual, so regular checkups ensure early detection of conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration.
2. Get Your Hearing Checked – A simple baseline hearing test can help identify early signs of hearing loss before it impacts your daily life.
3. Protect Your Ears from Noise – Long-term exposure to loud sounds is a leading cause of hearing loss. Wear hearing protection in noisy environments and keep headphone volumes at safe levels.
4. Exercise Regularly – Physical activity supports healthy circulation, which benefits both your eyes and ears.
5. Limit Screen Time – Digital eye strain is real! Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye fatigue.
The Bottom Line: Prioritize Your Hearing Health
This Save Your Vision Month, let’s take a more comprehensive approach to wellness. Seeing clearly is essential—but so is hearing clearly. Vision and hearing work together, and when we neglect one, we may be unknowingly putting extra strain on our brain and body.
At Decibels Audiology, we believe that hearing health is a crucial part of overall well-being. That’s why we offer complimentary hearing evaluations to help you stay proactive about your health.
If you’ve noticed any changes in your hearing—or even if you haven’t—it’s time to establish a baseline. Call us today to schedule your free hearing test and keep your brain, balance, and communication at their best!
Call today and schedule your complimentary hearing test and consultation.
Helping Southwest Florida hear better for over 15 years!
239-325-0596
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References:
• Lin FR, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and falls among older adults in the United States. Arch Intern Med. 2012 Feb 27;172(4):369-71. Link
• Gurgel RK, Ward PD, Schwartz S, Norton MC, Foster NL, Tschanz JT. Relationship of hearing loss and dementia: A prospective, population-based study. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Feb;140(2):140-6. Link
• McGurk H, MacDonald J. Hearing lips and seeing voices. Nature. 1976 Dec 23;264(5588):746-8. Link