Do you know that your sense of balance highly correlates with your inner ear and hearing ability? Yes, this explains why visiting a certified audiology clinic, such as Audiology Island, is often advised for people experiencing balance-related issues, such as dizziness.
- What exactly is the connection that exists between the human’s sense of balance and hearing?
- What are the common causes of balance issues?
- How can specialists at Audiology Island help you address your balance issue?
You’ll get answers to these balance/fall risk assessment-related questions as you read further.
The connection between your sense of balance & hearing
When we say human sense of balance, we are referring to the vestibular lar system. This system, along with the hearing system (cochlea), are both located in the inner ear. While the cochlea is responsible for hearing, the vestibular system helps to control both spatial orientation and balance.
Both the vestibular system and cochlea are closely linked in the ear. This is possible because the vestibular system comprises the monolith organs and three semicircular canals. The entire structures are occupied by fluid and some tiny hair cells, which help to detect any modification to your head orientation and movement.
- It’s pretty simple; as your head moves, the fluid in the semicircular canals works by detecting the movement and then shifting to stimulate the hair cells.
- As soon as the hair cells get stimulated, they’ll work by sending a signal to the brain.
- The brain functions by processing the information to maintain balance and spatial orientation.
That’s not all; other things your vestibular system and cochlea have in common are ‘anatomy and neural pathways’. These things make it possible for both systems to interact together to facilitate the maintenance of balance in movement and the interpretation of sound-like information during motion.
Causes of balance issues
You already know that both hearing and the human sense of balance are highly connected. When an issue affects the hearing system, this could lead to a balance issue. A good example is dizziness, a balance issue that could surface due to inner ear infections or imbalance.
Several other factors that cause balance issues include:
- Fluid leakages from your inner ear to the middle ear
- Meniere’s disease
- Vestibular neuritis
- Labyrinthitis
- Vertigo
- Mal de debarquement (MDD)
Why should you visit Audiology Island today?
Audiology Island is one of the best audiology clinics you can visit today to find the perfect treatment for your balance issue. This clinic has a team of certified specialists, who are readily available to conduct a diagnostic balance evaluation to identify the underlying causes of your issues of balance.
This balance test is designed to focus on your vestibular system, eye response, central nervous system, and muscle. After that, a multi-disciplinary approach will be utilized by the New York hearing doctor in charge to further investigate and design a management plan for your balance issues.
You can expect the following treatment solutions when you visit Audiology Island for balance issues, such as dizziness:
- Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers
- Medication
- Vestibular rehabilitation
- Counseling
- Home remedies, such as dietary modification and exercises
- Surgery