VIP Coaching In The Dark

Balance; it might not be your inner ear.

How vision and hearing changes can affect your balance

A simple light-cream stick-figure person balancing with arms outstretched while walking on a narrow line, like a tightrope, against a dark background.

1. How Vision Affects Balance

Your eyes give your brain important information about:

A stylized eye icon shaped like a sideways triangle, with a light cream outer shape and a blue iris on a dark background.
  • Where you are in space (spatial orientation)
  • How far away things are (depth perception)
  • How you’re moving (visual feedback)

When vision changes due to eye conditions (cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, double vision), neurological conditions (stroke, brain injury), or binocular vision problems (eyes not working together), your balance can be affected.

Tips:

  • • Get regular eye exams
  • • Improve lighting and reduce glare
  • • Mark stairs and steps with contrasting colors
  • • Keep floors clear of clutter

2. Proprioception: Your “Hidden Sense” for Balance

  • Sensors in muscles, tendons, and joints send body position signals to the brain
  • Works with vision and the inner ear to keep you steady
  • When impaired, you may feel clumsy or struggle on uneven ground

Tips:

  • Do gentle balance exercises
  • Wear supportive shoes•
  • Practice safe movement on different surfaces

3. How Hearing Loss Affects Balance

  • Hearing and balance are connected through the inner ear
  • Hearing loss may reduce spatial awareness
  • It can strain the brain’s attention, leaving less focus for balance
  • Linked to vestibular disorders like Meniere’s or BPPV

Tips:

  • Get regular hearing checks• Consider hearing aids
  • Reduce background noise
  • Use both hearing and sight for navigation

4. Fall Prevention Programs

Otago Exercise Program – Available in Salem through NorthWest Senior & Disability Services (NWSDS)

  • Home-based, led by a physical therapist
  • Focuses on strength and balance
  • Helpful for people over 80 or anyone 65+ with a fall history

5 . Tools for Better Balance

A simple light-cream icon of a toolbox with basic tools sticking out of the top on a dark background.
  • Provide extra stability on uneven ground
  • Improve posture and confidence
  • Reduce strain on knees and hips

6. When to See a Doctor• Sudden vision or hearing loss

  • • New or worsening dizziness
  • • Frequent falls or near-falls

Sight, hearing, and balance work as a team. If one changes, supporting the others can help keep you steady, safe, and independent.

Marja Byers

Marja Byers

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