Marilyn Suggests that a Hearing Aid can Improve Balance

Marilyn is Wrong Copyright © 1999-2005 Herb Weiner. All rights reserved.

Ask Marilyn ® by Marilyn vos Savant is a column in Parade Magazine, published by PARADE, 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA. According to Parade, Marilyn vos Savant is listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame" for "Highest IQ."

In her Parade Magazine column of November 6, 2005, Marilyn suggests that for people with hearing loss, wearing their hearing aid will help improve balance.

Sorry, Marilyn, but a hearing aid will not improve balance

Brian D Gardner <briandg@cableone.net> wrote:

Marilyn stated that loss of hearing and sight increase the probability of balance loss. She stated that older people should wear their glasses and hearing aids to prevent loss of balance. The anatomy of the ear is such that the mechanism for hearing has nothing to do whatsoever with the function of balance. A hearing aid merely amplifies the sounds entering the sound sensor and amplifies the signal for the eardrum to pick up. No way can it affect the mechanism of the inner ear that controls attitude sensing.

References

Although Brian's email sounds plausible, I have been unable to find any references to either substantiate or refute his claim. If you can supply any references, I'd be happy to list them here.
http://www.wiskit.com/marilyn/hearingaid.html last updated December 25, 2005 by herbw@wiskit.com