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Can Hearing Aids Cause Vertigo?
Hearing aids do not usually cause vertigo symptoms or other balance issues, but they can feel uncomfortable during the first few weeks as your auditory system adjusts to them.
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At a glance:
- Hearing aids do not directly cause vertigo, but disorientation and discomfort during the adjustment period are common. An improper hearing aid fit can also lead to headaches and a mild sense of being “off-balance.”
- Vestibular conditions such as Ménière’s disease, vestibular neuritis, and labyrinthitis can cause hearing loss, dizziness, and vertigo because they are located close to the auditory nerve in the inner ear.
- Hearing aids amplify auditory cues the brain uses to sense spatial orientation, so by making it easier for your brain to identify your head position, they can actually ease strain on the vestibular system and improve vertigo symptoms.
Vertigo is no joke, as it causes a spinning sensation that can quickly lead to nausea. Whether you want to know if hearing aids will improve symptoms or are worried that your recent motion sickness is related to new hearing aids, our team is here to help. We’ve analyzed common symptoms and causes of vertigo in older adults, as well as how hearing aids relate to them, so you can find the best way to restore daily joy and functionality.
The Connection Between Hearing & Balance
Did you know? Hearing loss can actually increase your risk of falls. This is because the systems responsible for auditory processing (the cochlear branch of the auditory nerve) and balance (the vestibular system) are both located within the inner ear.
- Auditory system: Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the eardrum and inner ear, where they’re converted into signals the brain uses to hear your surroundings.
- Vestibular system: Fluid-filled structures in the inner ear detect head movement and position, feeding the brain the information it needs for balance and spatial awareness.
Unfortunately, both balance disorders and conditions that cause hearing loss can impact these systems simultaneously. That’s why it’s so important to contact a professional audiologist, neurotologist, or otoneurologist when you experience hearing loss, dizziness, or vertigo.
What Are The Symptoms of Vertigo?
Vertigo itself isn’t a disease but rather a type of dizziness that’s a symptom of vestibular conditions, just as tiredness or ringing in the ears (tinnitus) might be other common symptoms. However, it’s important to define exactly what vertigo feels like.
Most people describe feeling as if they’re in motion or as if the world is spinning around them. These episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks, with the consistent spinning sensation sometimes leading to nausea or vomiting.
Other types of dizziness that are often confused with, and potentially linked to, vertigo, according to this 2016 review, include loss of balance, lightheadedness, and difficulty walking or standing.
Why Am I Experiencing Vertigo?
There are many reasons why you might be experiencing vertigo, with the most common being conditions that impact your vestibular system. Here are some examples seniors often deal with:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): Occurs when the inner ear’s natural calcium crystals become dislodged and migrate to the ear canal. This sends confusing signals to the brain, which can trigger brief, intense vertigo when you tilt your head.
- Ménière’s disease: This disease causes fluid buildup (endolymph) deep within your inner ear, which can cause episodes of vertigo that last 20 minutes or longer, as well as tinnitus and fluctuating hearing loss.
- Vestibular neuritis: Often caused by a viral infection, whether it’s an ear infection or another illness in the body, that inflames the vestibular nerve. The inflammation then disrupts the balance signals sent to the brain, leading to sudden, severe vertigo.
- Labyrinthitis: Refers specifically to inflammation of the inner ear’s labyrinth, which houses both the hearing and balance organs. Symptoms include vertigo and temporary hearing loss.
- Vestibular migraines: A type of migraine that impacts how your brain processes balance signals rather than the inner ear itself, a pattern known as central vertigo. Headaches are usually accompanied by dizziness and nausea.
- Medications: While not a disorder, certain blood pressure, nervous system, or inner ear medications can cause vertigo as a side effect. This phenomenon is especially prevalent when starting, stopping, or adjusting doses.
How Do Hearing Aids Impact Vertigo Symptoms?
When it comes to hearing aids and dizziness, the devices are far more likely to improve vertigo than cause it. According to this Journal of the American Academy of Audiology study, some users reported dizziness as a rare side effect, but no cases of vertigo were reported.
On the contrary, hearing aids can help with your balance and spatial awareness, just as glasses can. All of your senses, including hearing and vision, help your brain identify where you are in space. When your vision or hearing is impaired, it can lead to balance issues. Further, your auditory and vestibular systems are close together in the inner ear, connecting them when something goes awry.
When you start wearing hearing aids, they won’t cure your vertigo, but as this study on how hearing devices impacted balance in older adults shows, they improve the auditory information processing that plays a key role in maintaining static balance function and stability.
Hearing Aid Adjustment Period Tips
Neither vertigo nor other types of dizziness are common side effects of hearing aid use. Instead, users are far more likely to report:
- Poor sound quality
- Incorrect volume settings
- Earwax buildup
- Discomfort, irritation, or pain during wear
- Programming issues related to smartphone apps
To help prevent side effects and adapt to hearing aids quickly, we’ve compiled some tips for new users:
Schedule an Appointment With An Audiologist
While you can purchase hearing aids over-the-counter (OTC), visiting an audiologist is the easiest way to ensure they have the right level of amplification and fit properly. Not only can they administer professional hearing aid tests and set up a personalized subscription, but they can also teach you how to insert the hearing aids, clean them, and charge or replace the batteries. Further, if you have a history of vertigo, they can recommend the best hearing aids to help manage your symptoms.
Slowly Increase Wear Time
The changes hearing aids facilitate can be jarring at first, so one of the best ways to improve comfort and effectiveness is gradual adaptation. Start by wearing your new set for just a few hours a day and take them out once you start feeling overwhelmed or fatigued. Over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase the time you wear them until you can keep them in comfortably all day, except for showering and sleeping. The entire process usually takes two to four weeks.
Start With Subtle Background Noise or a One-on-One Conversation
Avoid noisy restaurants or parties for the first few days after you start wearing your new hearing aids. Instead, communicating with just one person in a quiet space or listening for background noise in the comfort of your home can help you adapt more quickly. Subtle introductions will also make it easier to identify the ideal volume settings.
Use Subtitles & Other Accessibility Services
Enabling subtitles on your TV and smartphone can help you better process new sounds. Many modern hearing aids also come equipped with a telecoil (t-coil), which can pick up magnetic signals from compatible sound systems in theaters, airports, museums, and even telephones. The audio is then streamed directly to your hearing aids. Bluetooth streaming, remote microphones, and smartphone apps are also common features you can use.
The Bottom Line: Hearing Care Professionals Can Help
Vertigo is generally not caused by hearing aids, and if anything, evidence shows that getting a new pair reduces balance issues. That said, if you notice any unfamiliar dizziness around the same time you’re adapting to recently purchased hearing aids, it’s worth visiting an audiologist, neurotologist, or otoneurologist for a check-up. With the right professional support, most people find that hearing aids become a tool for steadier balance, not a source of dizziness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About If Hearing Aids Can Cause Vertigo
Not necessarily. Your hearing and balance organs live next to each other within the inner ear and can often impact each other, but vertigo is not a cited side effect of hearing aid use. Temporary disorientation is common while you adjust to a new device, but hearing aids themselves are amplification devices, not a source of vestibular disruption.
It takes anywhere from two to four weeks to properly adjust. We don’t recommend trying to “speed up” the process, but simple strategies like gradually increasing wear time, slowly introducing yourself to loud settings, and working closely with an audiologist can all help with troubleshooting and make the adjustment period more pleasant.
Feeling dizzy isn’t necessarily a reason to stop wearing hearing aids and can usually be fixed with either volume adjustments, fitting appointments, or separate treatment for a balance-related diagnosis. If vertigo symptoms do become severe, please contact your audiologist and your primary care doctor right away. They can help connect you to a specialist if need be.
Yes. Hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of falls, so addressing it with properly fitted hearing aids is one way to support overall balance and stability.
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