Hearing has a direct affect on balance, and correcting hearing problems may help prevent falls in the elderly, according to a new review of hearing studies.

Investigators found that people use sound information to stay balanced when other senses – such as vision or proprioception – are compromised. In fact, poor hearing resulted in poor balance, while good hearing steadied those with sensory problems, said senior author Maura Cosetti, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

“[S]ounds can have a stabilizing effect on balance – maybe acting as an anchor that patients can lean on when other senses are less reliable,” explained Cosetti. 

In older adults, who are more likely to have sensory issues, hearing loss is a significant and under-recognized contributor to falls risk, Cosetti added. In fact, clinicians typically neglect hearing when managing patients’ falls risk. Instead, they focus on vision issues, foot neuropathy and bone loss, she said. But hearing loss is treatable, and getting hearing checked is a crucial first step to lessening risk, she asserted. 

The study was published Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery