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. Up to 90% of individuals who are afflicted by tinnitus also have hearing loss according to HIAA.
As you most likely realize, your age, genetics, and lifestyle can all play a role in the advancement of hearing loss. And while many individuals think of hearing loss as being obvious, the reality is that some minor hearing loss can go unnoticed. Even mild 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 Treat Tinnitus
There isn’t a cure for tinnitus. However, hearing aids can help you manage both hearing loss and tinnitus in ways that can minimize symptoms and improve one’s quality of life. In fact, one study revealed that up to 60 percent of tinnitus patients experienced relief when they used hearing aids, with 22 percent showing significant relief.
A conventional hearing aid can essentially hide the buzzing or ringing caused by tinnitus by strengthening your ability to hear other sounds, which essentially drowns out the ringing. The good news is that there are other, more advanced options beyond just conventional hearing aids to treat the symptoms related to tinnitus.
Tinnitus Symptoms Will be Decreased by These Types of Specialty Hearing Aids
Hearing aids boost the level of environmental sounds to the point that you can hear them clearly. This basic technology is crucial in training your hearing to receive certain stimulation by amplifying sounds like the rattle of a ceiling fan or the hum of a dinner party.
You can take an even more complete approach to your tinnitus management by augmenting hearing aids with other techniques, like stress reduction, sound stimulation, and counseling.
Some hearing aid makers 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 objective of other advanced hearing aid options. Your condition and ear have very personal needs and this approach will use a customized white noise that will be dialed-in by your hearing specialist.
All of these approaches, 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 lessen symptoms of tinnitus even if there is no 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