Most estimates put the amount of individuals impacted by tinnitus in the millions or about one out of every seven people. That’s… a lot of people, both in absolute terms and relative to the general population, and in a few countries, the percentage of the population who experience tinnitus is even more alarming.
True, tinnitus isn’t always chronic. But in those cases where buzzing, ringing, or humming in your ears is tough to get rid of, finding a reliable treatment can very quickly become a priority. Luckily, there is a treatment that has proven to be rather effective: hearing aids.
There are some links between hearing loss and tinnitus but they are in fact distinct conditions. It’s possible to experience tinnitus with normal hearing or to experience hearing loss without also developing tinnitus. But if you’re experiencing the two conditions simultaneously, which is fairly common, hearing aids can handle both at the same time.
How Can Tinnitus be Treated by Hearing Aids?
According to one study, 60% of people who suffer from tinnitus reported some amount of relief when they began using hearing aids. Approximately 22% of everyone surveyed reported significant relief. In spite of this, hearing aids are actually designed to deal with hearing loss not specifically tinnitus. Association seems to be the main reason for this benefit. As such, hearing aids seem to be most effective if you have tinnitus and hearing loss.
Here’s how hearing aids can help get rid of tinnitus symptoms:
- Outside sounds are boosted: When you have hearing loss, the volume of the outside world (or, at least, specific frequencies of the world) can fall away and become quieter. When that happens the ringing in your ears becomes a lot more obvious. It’s the loudest thing you hear because it is not impacted by your hearing loss. The buzzing or ringing 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.
- It becomes less difficult to engage in conversations: Amplifying human speech is something modern hearing aids are particularly good at. This means carrying on a conversation can become much easier once you’re routinely wearing your devices. You can keep up with the story Fred is telling at the restaurant or listen to what Nancy is excited about at work. The more you interact with other people, the more social you are, the less you’ll detect your tinnitus. Sometimes, tinnitus is worsened by stress so being able to socialize can helps in this way also.
- The enhanced audio stimulation is keeping your brain fit: Hearing loss has been shown to put a strain on cognitive function. Using a hearing aid can keep the audio regions of your brain flexible and healthy, which in turn can help reduce some tinnitus symptoms you might be experiencing.
Modern Hearing Aids Come With Many Advantages
Smart Technology is incorporated into modern hearing aids. They come with innovative hearing assistance algorithms and the newest technology. But the efficiency of modern hearing aids is accomplished in part because each device can be customized and calibrated on a patient-per-patient basis (sometimes, they recalibrate according to the amount of background noise).
Customizing hearing aids means that the sensitivity and output signals can conveniently be adjusted to the particular hearing levels you might have. The humming or buzzing is more likely to be successfully obscured if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.
What is The Best Way to End Tinnitus?
Your degree of hearing loss will determine what’s right for you. There are still treatment solutions for your tinnitus even if you don’t have any hearing loss. Medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, or a custom masking device are some possible solutions.
However, if you’re one of the many individuals out there who happen to suffer from both hearing impairment and tinnitus, a pair of hearing aids could be able to do the old two-birds-one-stone thing. Managing your hearing impairment with a good pair of hearing aids can often stop tinnitus from making your life difficult.
