Hearing Loss and Falls Prevention
Having a hearing loss can increase your risk of falling. Even a mild hearing loss is linked to a threefold increase in fall risk. Why? And what can you do to help keep yourself upright and safe?
Why untreated hearing loss is linked to falling
What’s the link between hearing loss and fall risk?
- Our inner ear also includes our vestibular, or balance system. Something that affects your hearing may also affect your balance.
- When we have a hearing loss, our cognitive load is higher. It takes extra mental effort to understand sounds and words. That leaves less brainpower available to focus on balance and other things.
- Diminished hearing means you might miss noises and other auditory cues that give you information about where you are and what’s going on around you. You might feel disoriented or distracted.
- The startle response: You might not hear someone approaching you or trying to get your attention, especially when they’re behind you. A sudden startle can lead to a fall.
- With diminished hearing, we may also lose our confidence in going out and about. That can lead to less physical activity and loss of strength and balance.
How to reduce your risk of falling when you have a hearing loss
Take heart: When you treat your hearing loss, you can boost your confidence and reduce your risk of falling.
- Get regular hearing exams. Our hearing can change over time, sometimes gradually and sometimes suddenly.
- Wear hearing aids. People who wear hearing aids consistently can lower their risk of falling by as much as 50%!
- Get help with your hearing aids or other hearing tech. Join a support group or reach out to us or to your audiologist with tech questions. And don’t give up — it can take time and effort to get used to hearing aids and make sure they’re doing their best work for you. We promise it’s worth it.
Healthy hearing is healthy aging
Treating your hearing loss has benefits far beyond reducing your fall risk, too. Hearing aids can help protect your brain, improve your mental health, and help keep you connected to friends, family, and your community.
What else can I do to reduce my risk of falls?
Treating hearing loss is just one way to reduce your risk of falling. There are many other important ways, too, such as eating well, improving your lighting at home, getting regular eye exams, doing strength training, using the handrails in stairways, and much more.
Here are some resources on other ways to reduce your risk of falls.
Our July 2026 presentation to the King County Falls Prevention Coalition
Our President, Cheri Perazzoli, gave a comprehensive presentation to the King County Falls Prevention Coalition. You can download a PDF of her presentation.