The Role of Ears in the Balance System

The journey towards learning to walk as a child is one most of us don’t have to give a second thought to once we’ve been doing it for years. While it may be as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, in truth so much goes into it that we don’t consider it. For instance, our muscles support our bones and joints to help keep us upright, but it’s the job of our brain to communicate with the entire body, in order to keep us balanced. Our brain does this via the vestibular system – a tiny fluid filled labyrinth which shares parts of the auditory system as well. The vestibular system informs our brain about our spatial orientation in order to keep us balanced. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of the inner ear, not only in humans, but most mammals! Let’s explore deeper how our hearing and balance are incredibly connected!

How we balance

There is so much that keeps us upright it’s amazing! This intricate process relies on teamwork between the sensory organs, the brain, which controls the relationship between skin, joints, and muscles, the eyes and our ears. The brain is constantly collecting information from all of these parts and then sends signals back to tell each part how to move and react.

The eyes clearly provide constant visual information, by scanning for objects and the horizon to reacts and move. However, people are often surprised to discover what a significant role our ears play. Aside from hearing speech, aiding in communication and identifying sounds, our ears help us localize where sounds are coming from and aid in our reaction time. They are also in constant interplay with our vestibular system. The fluid filled vestibular system works to alert the brain to pressure and position changes and functions alongside the cochlea in the inner ear which supports hearing.

Two parts of the inner ear called the utricle and the saccule track the head’s angular motions (from side to side and up and down), and sense gravity, too while there are other structures which shape in loops to inform the brain about the head’s rotation. As the fluid moves through the vestibular system, it informs the brain via tiny hair-like cells of the position of our head which is essential in keeping us balanced.

Hearing and Balance

Sound is collected in the outer ear, but it must reach the brain before we can interpret speech and identify sounds. It achieves by amplifying sounds through the eardrum and ossicles before reaching the cochlea. The cochlea is a fluid filled, snail shaped, tiny organ which also houses tiny hair like cells, which transform audio signals into electrical impulses which are sent to the brain. Without this process we would not be able to identify sounds or interpret speech.

This process is an incredible process like the vestibular system, which also uses tiny hair cells in fluid to report our head’s position to the brain. When we tilt our head in one direction, the fluid in the vestibular system responds to the gravitational difference and reports this head position to the brain. The brain can then include this along with the other sensory systems of the body to help keep us upright and balanced everyday—often with a second conscious thought about it.

Issues with Hearing and Balance

The hair-like cells within our ears are incredibly fragile and susceptible to damage, when exposed to loud levels of sounds, impact to the brain, certain medications, infection, heart or blood issues and more. When the tiny hair-like cells of the inner ear are damaged or destroyed the sound, pitches and tones connected are lost to the brain, causing permanent hearing loss. The ear is a complex organ and in close relationship to the vestibular system, which could also be damaged if you experience damage, causing hearing loss. This often not only affects hearing but balance and coordination as well.

When you live with chronic hearing loss over years, it can affect your mobility. You are less aware of your surroundings making you less likely to go out and feel confident on your own. To effect, unaddressed hearing loss can also make it harder to connect to all the people in your life, making a casual and previously fun social time a source of stress. All too often, unaddressed hearing loss can cause you to self-isolate and struggle with loneliness, even when surrounded with others.

Treating hearing loss can recover balance

Most scientists now believe that the use of hearing aids will significantly improve issues with the balance. To find out how we can help you– schedule a hearing exam with us today!