The cause of tinnitus, a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears, is often ambiguous. However, there is one thing researchers agree on: you are more likely to experience tinnitus if you also are afflicted by hearing loss. Up to 90% of people who experience tinnitus also have hearing loss according to HIAA.
Your age, lifestyle, and genetics can all take part in the development of hearing loss as you most likely know. Often, minor cases of hearing loss go undetected and hearing loss, in general, isn’t always apparent. Even minor cases of hearing loss will increase your likelihood of tinnitus, making the situation even worse.
It’s Not a Cure, But Hearing Aids Can Help Manage Tinnitus
Tinnitus doesn’t have a cure. However, hearing aids can help you manage both hearing loss and tinnitus in ways that can reduce symptoms and improve one’s quality of life. In fact, one study revealed that as much as 60 percent of people suffering from tinnitus saw relief when they used hearing aids, with 22 percent showing substantial relief.
A traditional hearing aid can basically hide the ringing or buzzing caused by tinnitus by improving your ability to hear outside sounds, which effectively drowns out the ringing. The good news is that there are other, more sophisticated options beyond just conventional hearing aids to treat the symptoms associated with tinnitus.
Types of Specialized Hearing Aids to Reduce Tinnitus Symptoms
Hearing aids increase the volume of environmental sounds to the point that you can hear them clearly. This basic technology is crucial in training your hearing to receive specific stimulation by amplifying sounds like the rattle of a ceiling fan or the rabble of a dinner party.
You can take an even more complete approach to your tinnitus management by enhancing hearing aids with other strategies, like stress reduction, sound stimulation, and counseling.
Fractal tones and irregular rhythms are even being utilized by some hearing aid makers. The persistent 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. This approach will commonly utilize a white noise signal that a hearing specialist can adjust to guarantee correct calibration for your ear and your condition.
Whether it’s through sound therapy, blending, or a white noise mechanism, all of these specialized devices have a common aim of distracting the attention away from the buzzing or ringing of tinnitus.
It’s true that there is no cure for tinnitus, but for at least some individuals, hearing aids help lessen 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
