The cause of tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears, is often ambiguous. But one thing we know for sure is that if you have hearing loss your probability of experiencing tinnitus rises. According to HLAA up to 90 percent of people who experience tinnitus also have hearing loss.
As you most likely know, your age, genetics, and lifestyle can all play a role in the development of hearing loss. Often, moderate instances of hearing loss go undetected and hearing loss, in general, isn’t always apparent. Even minor cases of hearing loss will increase your chance of tinnitus, making the situation even worse.
Hearing Aids Won’t Cure Tinnitus But They Can Help
Tinnitus doesn’t have a cure. However, your symptoms can be decreased and your life can be improved by using hearing aids to address your hearing loss and tinnitus. As a matter of fact, one study confirmed that as much as 60 percent of tinnitus patients experienced relief when they wore hearing aids, with 22 percent showing significant relief.
A conventional hearing aid can basically hide the ringing or buzzing caused by tinnitus by strengthening your ability to hear other sounds, which effectively drowns out the ringing. And, fortunately, traditional hearing aids aren’t the only solution as more advanced treatment possibilities are being produced.
Types of Specialized Hearing Aids to Decrease Tinnitus Symptoms
Hearing aids boost the volume of environmental sounds to the point that you can hear them clearly. This basic technology is critical in teaching your hearing to receive specific stimulation by amplifying sounds like the clattering of a ceiling fan or the hum of a dinner party.
You can take an even more complete approach to your tinnitus management by enhancing hearing aids with other techniques, like stress reduction, sound stimulation, and counseling.
Some hearing aid manufacturers even utilize the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to minimize the symptoms of tinnitus. These rhythmically inconsistent tones can distract from the constant and regular tones tinnitus sufferers hear.
Other specialty devices try to blend your tinnitus in with the natural sounds you’re hearing. Your condition and ear have very personal needs and this technique will use a customized white noise that will be calibrated by your hearing professional.
Whether you use sound therapy, blending, or a white noise mechanism, all of these specialized devices have a common objective 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 individuals, hearing aids help reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
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