Hearing loss makes it difficult to connect with loved ones and the world around you. When you have less awareness of your environment, you can be at risk of a fall or other accidental injury, studies show. We review this research below.
What the Studies Show
Research by University of California Irvine and Harvard Medical School published in May 2018 sought to uncover the relationship between hearing loss and accidental injury.
Researchers used data collected for the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2007 to 2015.
For the survey, participants rated their hearing abilities on a scale ranging from “excellent” to “deaf.” Over the previous three months, 2.8% of participants reported experiencing an accidental injury, which was classified as either driving, work or leisure/sport-related.
Among driving-related injuries, there was no statistical difference based on hearing status. Those with good hearing or little trouble hearing had a higher prevalence of work-related injuries than those with excellent hearing or more severe hearing difficulty. This is likely due to people with excellent hearing having good environmental awareness while those with severe hearing difficulty are less likely to work dangerous jobs than those with milder hearing loss. There was an increase in leisure-related activities from 0.8% of those with excellent hearing to 1.4% of those who considered themselves deaf.
Overall, 2.4% of those with excellent hearing experienced an accidental injury compared to 4.8% of those who had a “lot of trouble” hearing.
Supporting Studies
The results of this study are consistent with previous studies conducted on this topic.
A study that used South Caroline Medicaid billing data from 2002 to 2003 found children with hearing loss were twice as likely to be treated for an injury in an ER or hospital compared to those with normal hearing.
A report that examined data from the NHIS from 1985 to 1994 found occupational injuries were 1.5 times more likely to occur in deaf adults than adults with normal hearing.
Preventing an Injury
Experts believe that people with hearing loss are more likely to experience an accidental injury because they have less awareness of their surroundings.
Fortunately, hearing aids can help. One study published in 2019 found that hearing aids can delay a diagnosis of injurious falls, as well as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, depression and anxiety among older adults with hearing loss. To prevent an injury while enjoying a walk through Riverside Park, call the experts at the McCoy Institute of Hearing & Balance today.
