Feeling a bit off kilter? It could be your hearing. Your sense of hearing and your balance walk hand in hand. The inner ear controls balance, so if you are experiencing issues such as falling down, walking into walls, or a general loss of balance it could all be in the ears. The inner ear is made up of a membranous labyrinth composed of three parts called the cochlea, a hollow bone with two chambers divided by a membrane.
How does it work?
We remain balanced and walking upright thanks to data from sight, nerves, and the cochlea. All of these information points come together to make sure we don’t run into things or fall down. When one of them is not performing correctly we may experience dizziness, or vertigo. The symptoms of dizziness include faintness, perhaps spinning or lightheadedness, while a hallmark of vertigo is both spinning and disorientation. The phenomenon most closely associated with inner ear issues is vertigo.
Researching your symptoms and determining what you are experiencing is important. Keep a record of times you are dizzy, or experience vertigo. Note the setting, time of day, and frequency your balance issues occur. When you are ready to seek the care of a health professional you will be able to provide valuable information to help diagnose your symptoms. Whether or not your symptoms are related to your ears and hearing is best for a health professional to determine.
What to do?
Hearing and balance issues can be related. If you are experiencing balance issues that you believe may be related to your hearing or inner ear issues seek the professional advice of your local hearing specialist. It could be something notable, or something very simple and an expert can assist you in determining your root cause and direct you to solutions.
