Did you know that hearing loss can actually affect your vision? Most people are usually worried about how hearing loss or vision loss will affect their ability to hear and see, respectively. Few people are familiar with the effects that hearing loss can have on your vision, and vice versa. In this blog, we take a closer look at the connection between your ears and your eyes.
How are Hearing Loss & Vision Loss Connected?
The brain uses inputs from both the eyes and ears to make sense of the world, and with that said, the loss of one can impact its ability to interpret signals from the other. In a 2016 study from UCLA, researchers found that the interaction between hearing and vision may vary, depending on the individual and / or situation. Here are a few things you should know about the connection between your hearing and your sight:
- Your hearing can enhance your vision – According to the UCLA study, researchers proved this by having participants run through a series of trials to correctly identify the direction in which a display of dots were moving. They found that hearing the direction in which the dots were collectively traveling drastically improved the participants’ ability to see the direction of the movement.
- As you get older, you are more likely to experience some degree of hearing loss if you are visually impaired – A study exploring the link(s) between age-related hearing loss and vision problems found that “older people with a visual impairment were more likely to have hearing loss, which suggests that these sensory impairments could share common risk factors or biologic aging markers. Combined sensory impairments also cumulatively affect health-related quality of life.”
- Cognitive decline is associated with hearing loss and vision loss – In a recent 2006 study, researchers found that “the subjects with the greatest degree of visual impairment had the poorest average scores on the test of cognition, and that scores decreased as vision decreased,” according to a report in an issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. People with hearing loss may also experience cognitive decline; researchers at Brandeis University suggest that memory ability among people with hearing loss may be compromised by the extra effort required to hear.
- Healthy ears and eyes help reduce the risks of falling – Most of us know how hearing and vision play an important role in maintaining balance. But did you know that untreated hearing loss can nearly triple your risk of a fall, as per a study conducted at John Hopkins.
Common Causes of Hearing Loss & Vision Loss:
- Genetic conditions
- Birth defects
- Diseases
- Medications
- Injuries
- Age
Consult with the Hearing Experts at Kenwood Hearing Center
Since your hearing and vision work together to help you live your best, it is important to take care of them. A good place to start is to have your hearing checked. Unfortunately, our offices are currently closed. If you would like to learn more, contact us or send us a message online, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.