Why hearing loss may affect your balance

Hearing loss could affect your life in many ways. When you have trouble hearing, you might miss out on conversations or struggle to follow a work meeting. It may be harder to hear the sounds of nature — or a warning honk from a car — when you’re out and about. But untreated hearing loss is also linked to other, less obvious health issues.

A big one? Hearing problems may affect your balance, which can raise the risk of falling.¹ More than 1 in 4 older adults fall each year, and 3 million of them end up going to the emergency room.²

There are several factors that increase the risk of falling, but our ears and brain play a role. Find out exactly why hearing well is key to staying steady on your feet, how hearing aids may help and some simple balance moves to try.

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How hearing loss could trigger falls

Keeping your balance requires a lot of input from various sources.³ You need to see well, for one. Your sense of touch is also important. And so are your ears. Here’s why:

Your inner ear helps with balance. That’s where your vestibular system is located. This system sends information to your brain about keeping upright, motion, and where your head and body are in relation to your surroundings.⁴

Sometimes infections or damage to the inner ear can affect your sense of balance.

Your hearing is key to your sense of location. “Sounds bounce off objects, so we can tell how close or far we are from an object,” says Lisa Bennett, a hearing instrument specialist at Shoreline Hearing Aid Center in Morehead City, North Carolina.

People use the sounds they hear to help them create a mental picture of what’s around them, and that keeps them steadier on their feet.⁵ But if you can’t hear well, you don’t know where the sounds are coming from. And that can throw off your balance, Bennett says.

Your brain can’t multitask as well. When your brain is struggling to hear, it’s harder to focus on other things.¹ “You’re concentrating more on hearing than your surroundings sometimes, and it can cause you to be off balance,” Bennett says.

For all these reasons, older adults with hearing loss have more than double the risk of falling.⁶

Of course, not everyone with hearing loss is bound to fall. There are a lot of variables, Bennett says. Those include your overall health, how much you’re able to move around and your age. It also depends on whether your hearing loss is mild or severe.

But even if you’re young and fit, you still want to lower the risk of taking a tumble. Here are some ways you can do that if you notice you have trouble hearing.

Schedule a hearing exam and consultation

If you have any hearing issues, get your ears checked by a hearing care professional, such as an audiologist or hearing aid specialist. Even if you don’t think you have any trouble hearing, it’s still a good idea to have a comprehensive exam and consultation, Bennett says.

Your hearing care professional will check your inner ear for any signs of damage and test how well you hear. Audiologists are trained to diagnose balance disorders too.⁷

Another reason to get a hearing test even if you don’t think you need one? Early intervention is always better, Bennett says. That way if you have hearing loss, you can start treatment before the problem gets worse.

Ready to request a hearing exam and consultation? AARP® Hearing Solutions™ provided by UnitedHealthcare Hearing has a national network of hearing care professionals. Request an appointment.

Wear hearing aids

Let’s say your exam shows that you have some hearing loss. Your hearing care professional will go over the results with you, and they may recommend hearing aids. They’ll find the right pair for you and make sure they fit well. Then go home and wear them regularly.

Your brain will get used to hearing sounds again, Bennett says. Plus, wearing hearing aids could lower the risk of falls. One reason is that hearing aids use technology such as directional microphones and sensors that can better detect where sound is coming from.

One study found that using hearing aids regularly for more than 4 hours a day cut the risk of falling by more than half.⁶

Fall-proof your home

Make your home safer by installing brighter lights on stairways and hallways. Also remove tripping hazards, like small rugs and clutter in hallways. And install grab bars in showers and other slippery areas.⁸

Do a medication check with your primary care provider (PCP)

Certain medications can make you dizzy and more likely to fall. And some medications can affect your hearing too. So it’s always a good idea to go over everything you take, including supplements, with your PCP or pharmacist.⁸

Try some balance exercises

“Exercise is always helpful,” Bennett says. She suggests tai chi or yoga as ways to move and increase balance. But you can do simple balance exercises at home, too, including:⁹

• Sit to stand: Sit down on a sturdy chair and then get up without using your hands, if possible. (You can always lean on the arm rests or the seat if you need to.) Repeat 10 times.
• Standing balance: Stand with your feet apart or together. Place your hands on a counter or table. See if you can take your hands off the counter and be steady for 10 seconds. Try with your eyes open at first. The goal is to work your way up to 30 seconds with your eyes open and closed.
• One-leg balance: Again, do this close to a counter or table. Stand on one leg for 10 seconds with your eyes open. Switch legs. Work your way up to 30 seconds. Then aim to do the exercise with your eyes closed.

Sources

1. The hidden risk of hearing loss Johns Hopkins Medicine. Accessed May 5, 2025.
2. Facts about falls Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 5, 2025.
3. Increased risk of falling American Academy of Audiology. Accessed May 5, 2025.
4. Dizziness and balance American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Accessed May 5, 2025.
5. Sound can directly affect balance and lead to risk of falling Mount Sinai. Accessed May 5, 2025.
6. Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss  Journal of the American Geriatric Society. Accessed May 5, 2025.
7. Audiologists vs. hearing instrument specialists vs. ENTs American Academy of Audiology. Accessed May 5, 2025.
8. 4 ways to improve fall safety Johns Hopkins Medicine. Accessed May 5, 2025.
9. Fall prevention: balance and strength exercises for older adults Johns Hopkins Medicine. Accessed May 5, 2025.

Information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed medical provider. Consult your provider prior to making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine.

AARP Hearing Solutions is available to all AARP members and does not require a health insurance plan from UnitedHealthcare. The AARP hearing program discount cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions, coupons or hearing aid benefit plans unless noted herein. Products or services that are reimbursable by federal programs including Medicare and Medicaid are not available on a discounted or complimentary basis. AARP commercial member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details. UnitedHealthcare Hearing is provided through UnitedHealthcare, offered to existing members of certain products underwritten or provided by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates to provide specific hearing aid discounts. This is not an insurance nor managed care product, and fees or charges for services in excess of those defined in program materials are the member’s responsibility. UnitedHealthcare does not endorse nor guarantee hearing aid products/services available through the hearing program. This program may not be available in all states or for all group sizes. Components subject to change.

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