Hearing Aids – a Cure For Tinnitus?

Man with constant ringing in his ears thinking about getting a hearing aid.

The cause of tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears, is generally unclear. However, there is one thing researchers agree on: you are more likely to experience tinnitus if you also are suffering from hearing loss. According to HLAA as much as 90 percent of individuals who experience tinnitus also have hearing loss.

As you probably know, your age, genetics, and lifestyle can all play a role in the advancement of hearing loss. And while many of us think of hearing loss as being obvious, the truth is that some mild hearing loss can go undetected. Even worse, even a minor case of hearing loss increases your risk and likelihood of developing tinnitus.

Hearing Aids Won’t Cure Tinnitus But They Can Help

There isn’t a cure for tinnitus. However, your symptoms can be reduced and your life can be improved by wearing hearing aids to treat your hearing loss and tinnitus. Sixty percent of people struggling with tinnitus, in fact, saw relief of their symptoms, and twenty-two had significant improvement.

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 advanced treatment possibilities are being produced.

Tinnitus Symptoms Will be Decreased by These Types of Specialty Hearing Aids

Hearing aids increase the level of environmental sounds to the point that you can hear them clearly. Even though it may be basic in design, that amplification of noise, be it the hum of a dinner party or the rattle of a ceiling fan, is crucial in teaching your brain to receive certain stimulations again.

You can augment those amplification efforts by the combination of other strategies, like counseling, sound stimulation, and stress reduction for a more complete approach to treatment.

Some hearing aid manufacturers even utilize the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus. These rhythmically inconsistent tones can distract from the consistent and regular tones tinnitus sufferers hear.

Blending the natural sounds you hear with your tinnitus sounds is the goal of other sophisticated hearing aid options. This strategy will generally use a white noise signal that a hearing expert can adjust to guarantee correct calibration for your ear and your condition.

Whether you use sound therapy, blending, or a white noise mechanism, all of these specialized devices have a common goal of distracting the user away from the ringing or buzzing of tinnitus.

It’s true that there isn’t any cure for tinnitus, but for at least some, hearing aids help reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life.




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
The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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