You don’t have to be a regular at Sin City Yoga to know how important balance is. When dizzy spells make you feel unsteady on your feet, you probably want to get to the bottom of them right away.
While rare, some patients report dizziness when they first start wearing their hearing aids. Let’s look at why you may feel dizzy when wearing your first pair of hearing aids and what you can do about it.
Why Do I Feel Dizzy?
Hearing aids don’t typically cause dizziness, but getting used to new sounds can be overwhelming. If your brain has adapted to a quieter life, sudden amplification initially feels disorienting. The sensation is similar to how you may feel wearing glasses for the first time.
One 2022 review of the effect of hearing aids on static and dynamic balance found that adults with hearing aids experienced improved balance compared to patients without amplification. While patients may experience greater overall balance, the hearing changes may be jarring initially.
How Can I Regain My Balance?
If newly amplified sounds throw off your balance, the best solution is to continue wearing your devices. Regular use will help your hearing aids feel more natural, alleviating some initial side effects.
If you still feel dizzy after a few weeks, something else is likely causing your instability.
What Else Could Be Causing My Dizziness?
Hearing and balance are connected because both rely on parts of the inner ear. Your inner ear houses the vestibulocochlear nerve, also called the acoustic or auditory nerve, which is responsible for transmitting sound and information about the head’s position in relation to the body.
If hearing loss stems from inflammation or damage to the vestibular nerve, it may present with accompanying balance issues. A few things that can damage the vestibulocochlear nerve include:
- Physical injuries
- Congenital issues that cause the nerve to develop incorrectly
- Acoustic neuromas (benign tumors that can grow on the vestibulocochlear nerve)
- Infections leading to inflammation (vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, etc.)
If you noticed balance issues arising before or after you get your first hearing aids, contact Nevada Ear + Sinus Institute to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. We can identify the underlying cause of your dizziness and help you find the right treatment path forward.
Call Nevada Ear + Sinus Institute at (702) 735-7668 for more information or to schedule an appointment.