The cause of tinnitus, a constant buzzing or ringing in the ears, is generally unclear. However, there is one thing experts agree on: you are more likely to experience tinnitus if you also are suffering from hearing loss. Up to 90% of individuals who suffer from tinnitus also have hearing loss according to HIAA.
As you most likely know, your genetics, age, and lifestyle can all play a role in the development of hearing loss. Frequently, mild cases of hearing loss go undetected and hearing loss, in general, isn’t always obvious. Even slight cases of hearing loss will raise your chance 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, your symptoms can be reduced and your life can be improved by wearing hearing aids to manage your hearing loss and tinnitus. As a matter of fact, one study confirmed that up to 60 percent of people suffering from tinnitus experienced relief when they used hearing aids, with 22 percent showing considerable relief.
A conventional hearing aid can basically hide the buzzing or ringing caused by tinnitus by strengthening your ability to hear other sounds, which essentially 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 Reduce Tinnitus Symptoms
Hearing aids work by collecting natural sounds from the environment around you and amplifying them to a level that allows you to hear. This simple technology is critical in training your hearing to receive certain stimulation by amplifying sounds like the clattering of a ceiling fan or the hum of a dinner party.
You can take an even more comprehensive approach to your tinnitus management by enhancing hearing aids with other techniques, like stress reduction, sound stimulation, and counseling.
Some hearing aid makers even use 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 experience.
Blending the normal sounds you hear with your tinnitus sounds is the goal of other sophisticated hearing aid options. Your condition and ear have very personal needs and this approach will use a personalized white noise that will be calibrated by your hearing specialist.
Whether it’s through sound therapy, blending, or a white noise mechanism, all of these specialized technologies have a common goal of distracting the user away from the buzzing or ringing 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.
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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