It’s generally not clear what’s triggering tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in your ears). But one thing we know for certain is that if you have hearing loss your probability of experiencing tinnitus rises. According to HLAA as much as 90 percent of individuals who are dealing with tinnitus also have hearing loss.
As you most likely realize, your genetics, age, and lifestyle can all be involved in the development of hearing loss. And while many of us think of hearing loss as being obvious, the truth is that some minor hearing loss can go undetected. Even minor cases of hearing loss will increase your likelihood of tinnitus, making the situation even worse.
Hearing Aids Won’t Cure Tinnitus But They Can Help
There isn’t a cure for tinnitus. However, hearing aids can treat both hearing loss and tinnitus in ways that can reduce symptoms and improve one’s quality of life. In fact, one study confirmed that up to 60 percent of people suffering from tinnitus experienced relief when they used hearing aids, with 22 percent showing substantial relief.
When you can suddenly hear outside sounds better because hearing aids have raised the volume, your tinnitus symptoms will be drowned out. And, fortunately, traditional hearing aids aren’t the only option as more sophisticated treatment possibilities are being produced.
Tinnitus Symptoms Will be Decreased by These Types of Specialized Hearing Aids
Hearing aids work by gathering natural sounds from the world around you and amplifying them to a level that lets you hear. Although it may be simple in design, that amplification of sound, be it the hum of a dinner party or the clank of a ceiling fan, is critical in training your brain to receive certain stimulations again.
You can augment those amplification efforts by the combination of other approaches, like counseling, sound stimulation, and stress reduction for a more comprehensive approach to treatment.
Fractal tones and irregular rhythms are even being used by some hearing aid makers. The constant tone of tinnitus can be interrupted by the uneven tones of these inconsistent rhythms.
Blending the normal sounds you hear with your tinnitus sounds is the objective of other sophisticated hearing aid options. Your condition and ear have very personal needs and this technique will use a personalized white noise that will be calibrated by your hearing professional.
All of these strategies, from white noise therapies to sound therapies, use specialized hearing aid technology to distract the attention of the user away from paying attention to tinnitus noises.
Hearing aids can improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of tinnitus even if there isn’t any cure.
References
- https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/HLAA_HearingLoss_Facts_Statistics.pdf?pdf=FactStats
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17956798
- https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/hearing-aids
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6197965
