By: Tiffany Ahlberg, Au.D., CCC-A

Seeing is believing, and hearing is connecting.

Did you know that seeing and hearing are intertwined?  Ahlberg Audiology emphasizes the connection between healthy eyes and ears and reminds us not to take them for granted.

Seeing and hearing the people, places, and moments that matter create wonderful, lasting memories.  There are four reasons to make regular checkups for hearing and vision an important part of your overall health and wellness plan this year.

• Hearing enhances the sense of sight, working as a team to help you perceive and participate in the world around you. A UCLA study ran participants through a series of trials to correctly identify the direction in which a display of dots moved and found that hearing the dots enhanced participants’ ability to see the direction of their movement.

• Older adults are more likely to experience hearing loss if they have problems seeing. Researchers investigating links between age-related vision and hearing problems found that even after considering age, the two conditions are linked and significantly affect physical and mental health.

• According to research showing that both conditions are associated with reduced brain functioning over time, vision and hearing loss go hand in hand with cognitive decline. Seniors with hearing loss may experience significantly reduced cognitive function at least three years before their normal-hearing counterparts.

• Healthy eyes and ears — along with joints, muscles, and brain — help keep you steady on your feet, reducing your risk of falling. It’s pretty obvious that seeing your best helps you stay upright, but the inner ear also plays a vital role in maintaining balance. Conversely, untreated hearing loss could nearly triple your risk of a fall.

Hearing and vision work together to help you live your best life, so remember to keep them both in top shape. Start with a hearing checkup at our practice. We’re here to help!  Call us to schedule an appointment at (423) 641-0956 or request an appointment online:  www.ahlbergaudiology.com/appointments

[SOURCES]

UCLA Newsroom. The brain appears to have different mechanisms for reconciling sight and sound. https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/brain-appears-to-have-different-mechanisms-for-reconciling-sight-and-sound. Accessed January 12, 2023.

JAMA Ophthalmology. Association Between Vision and Hearing Impairments and Their Combined Effects on Quality of Life. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/418658. Accessed January 12, 2023.

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hearing Loss Accelerates Brain Function Decline in Older Adults. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_accelerates_brain_function_decline_in_older_adults. Accessed January 12, 2023.

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hearing Loss Linked to a Three-Fold Risk of Falling. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling. Accessed January 12, 2023.