Ringing in The Ears Can be Relieved With Hearing Aids

Man who got rid of tinnitus using a hearing aid on a hammock with his wife.

Most estimates put the amount of people impacted by tinnitus in the millions or about one out of every seven people. In a few countries, the numbers are even higher and that’s pretty startling.

True, tinnitus isn’t always chronic. But in those situations where ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears is difficult to shake, finding an effective treatment can very quickly become a priority. One of the most practical of such solutions is already rather common: hearing aids.

There are some links between hearing loss and tinnitus but they are in fact separate conditions. you can have hearing loss without tinnitus or tinnitus without hearing loss. But if you are going through the two conditions simultaneously, which is pretty common, hearing aids can handle both at the same time.

How Hearing Aids Can Help Tinnitus

Hearing aids have, according to one study, been documented to give relief of tinnitus symptoms for up to 60% of participants. For 22% of those individuals, the relief was significant. Despite this, hearing aids are actually designed to treat hearing loss not specifically tinnitus. Association appears to be the main reason for this benefit. So if you have tinnitus and hearing loss then that’s when your hearing aids will most effectively treat the tinnitus symptoms.

Here’s how tinnitus symptoms can be decreased with hearing aids:

  • Everything gets a little bit louder: The volume of some of the wavelengths of the world become quieter when have hearing loss. The ringing in your ears, in that situation, is much more noticeable. It’s the loudest thing you’re hearing because it is not decreased by your hearing loss. The ringing or buzzing that was so obvious will be obscured when your hearing aid boosts the external sound. Tinnitus becomes less of a problem as you pay less attention to it.
  • Conversations become less difficult: Modern hearing aids are particularly effective at identifying human speech and raising the volume of those sounds. This means having a conversation can become much easier once you’re routinely using your devices. You can keep up with the story Carl is telling at the restaurant or listen to what Sally is excited about at work. The more you interact with other people, the more social you are, the less you’ll notice your tinnitus. In some cases, tinnitus is worsened by stress so being able to socialize can helps in this way also.
  • Your brain is getting an auditory workout: When you have hearing loss, those parts of your brain tasked with interpreting sounds can frequently suffer from stress, fatigue, or atrophy. Wearing a hearing aid can keep the audio centers of your brain flexible and healthy, which in turn can help reduce some tinnitus symptoms you might be experiencing.

The Perks of Modern Hearing Aids

Smart Technology is incorporated into modern hearing aids. To some extent, that’s because they feature the newest technologies and hearing assistance algorithms. But the effectiveness of modern hearing aids is attained in part because each device can be refined and calibrated on a patient-per-patient basis (they can even sense the amount of background noise and automatically adjust accordingly).

Customizing hearing aids means that the sensitivity and output signals can conveniently be adjusted to the specific hearing levels you might have. The buzzing or humming is more likely to be effectively masked if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.

The Best Way to Get Rid of Tinnitus

Your level of hearing loss will determine what’s right for you. If you haven’t experienced any hearing loss, you’ll still have available treatments for your tinnitus. Cognitive behavioral therapy, a custom masking device, or medication are some possible solutions.

But, hearing aids may be able to take care of both situations if you have tinnitus and hearing loss at the same time. Stop tinnitus from making your life miserable by managing your hearing loss with a good pair of hearing aids.

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.