Most people think of their ears as just the "hearing" organ. But tucked right next to the part of your inner ear that processes sound is the vestibular system, the structure responsible for balance. They share the same real estate, the same fluid, and often the same nerve pathways. So when hearing starts to slip, balance can be affected too, even when nothing feels obviously "off" with your equilibrium.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that even mild hearing loss triples the risk of an accidental fall, and every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss increases fall risk further. That's not a small statistic. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65, and hearing loss turns out to be one of the more overlooked risk factors behind them.
If you're reading this because a parent has had a close call, stumbled more than usual, or seems less steady than they used to be, you're not overreacting. The connection between hearing and balance and dizziness and hearing loss is real, and it's one of the most common reasons physicians refer patients to us for a vestibular and equilibrium evaluation.
Signs It's Time for a Balance Evaluation
Balance problems don't always show up as full-on vertigo. Sometimes it's subtler than that, and subtler symptoms get dismissed for months, sometimes years, before anyone connects them to the inner ear.
Ask yourself, or your parent, whether any of these ring true:
- Getting up from bed or a chair too quickly brings on a spinning or falling sensation
- Grocery store aisles, escalators, or crowded spaces feel disorienting
- Walking in the dark, or even just closing your eyes in the shower, feels unsteady
- There's a sense of drifting to one side while walking, even on flat ground
- Moving from tile to carpet, or stepping off a curb, throws off your footing more than it should
- A general fear of falling has started changing how much you move around or leave the house
- Watching cars pass, or looking out a moving car window, brings on queasiness
One or two of these on their own might not mean much. But if several sound familiar, or if a fall has already happened, it's worth having the inner ear looked at rather than waiting to see if it resolves on its own.
What Vestibular Testing Actually Involves
A lot of patients come in expecting something invasive. It isn't. Vestibular testing at Desert Valley Audiology & Balance uses a combination of tools to figure out exactly where a balance problem is coming from, whether that's the inner ear, the nerve pathway, or somewhere else entirely.
VNG (videonystagmography) tracks eye movement using small cameras built into a pair of goggles. Because your eyes and inner ear are wired together, abnormal eye movement patterns can point directly to which part of the vestibular system isn't working correctly.
ECOG (electrocochleography) measures the electrical activity generated by the inner ear in response to sound. It's especially useful when we're trying to rule in or rule out conditions like Meniere's disease, where fluid pressure in the inner ear is part of the picture.
Rotary chair testing places you in a chair that moves in a controlled, slow rotation while your eye movements are recorded. It gives us information that VNG alone can't, particularly for patients whose symptoms come and go or don't show up clearly in a stationary test.
VEMP (vestibular evoked myogenic potential) testing, which includes both oVEMP and cVEMP, measures how certain muscles respond to sound stimulation. It helps evaluate parts of the vestibular system that other tests can't reach on their own.
None of these tests are painful, and most patients are surprised by how straightforward the whole appointment feels. The goal is simply to get a clear picture of what's happening inside the ear so we're not guessing at a treatment plan.
What Happens After Testing
Results guide the next step, and that step looks different depending on what we find.
If hearing loss is part of the picture (and it very often is), treating it can meaningfully reduce fall risk on its own. Hearing aids don't just make sound louder. They restore auditory cues your brain uses to orient itself in space, cues that quietly support balance even though most people never think of hearing aids that way.
If the testing points to a vestibular disorder that can be improved with targeted exercises, we refer patients to Stefanie Howard, MOT, OTR/L, who specializes in vestibular rehabilitation therapy. VRT retrains the brain to compensate for inner ear dysfunction through specific, guided movement exercises. It's not a quick fix, but for the right patient, it can be one of the more effective treatments available.
And when testing suggests something outside the scope of audiology, like a cardiovascular issue, medication side effect, or neurological concern, we make sure that information gets into the hands of the right physician. Part of our job is knowing when a referral out is the most helpful thing we can offer.
Schedule a Balance and Vestibular Evaluation in Las Vegas or Henderson
Dizziness, unsteadiness, and unexplained falls deserve more than a "let's wait and see." Desert Valley Audiology & Balance has been treating hearing and balance concerns for the Las Vegas and Henderson community since 2010, and vestibular testing is one of the most requested services we offer, precisely because so few people realize how closely hearing and balance are connected until they experience it themselves.
If you or a parent are dealing with any of the symptoms above, or a hearing evaluation is overdue, we'd rather see you now than after a fall. Our team offers both comprehensive hearing tests and full balance and vestibular evaluations at our Henderson, Downtown Las Vegas, Northwest Las Vegas, and Southwest Las Vegas locations.
Call us at 702-605-9133 to schedule an appointment, or reach out through our website to get started.
