The cause of tinnitus, a persistent ringing or buzzing 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 suffering from hearing loss. Up to 90 percent of individuals who experience tinnitus also have hearing loss according to HIAA.
As you probably realize, your genetics, age, and lifestyle can all play a role in the advancement of hearing loss. Often, minor instances of hearing loss go unnoticed and hearing loss, in general, isn’t always evident. Worse, even a slight case of hearing loss raises your risk and likelihood of developing tinnitus.
Hearing Aids Won’t Cure Tinnitus But They Will Help
Tinnitus doesn’t have a cure. However, your symptoms can be decreased and your life can be improved by using hearing aids to treat your hearing loss and tinnitus. Sixty percent of people struggling with tinnitus, in fact, experienced relief of their symptoms, and twenty-two had considerable improvement.
A conventional hearing aid can basically hide the ringing or buzzing associated with tinnitus by strengthening your ability to hear outside sounds, which effectively drowns out the ringing. And, fortunately, traditional hearing aids aren’t the only option as more advanced treatment possibilities are being produced.
Tinnitus Symptoms Will be Reduced by These Types of Specialized Hearing Aids
Hearing aids work by gathering natural sounds from the environment around you and boosting them to a level that allows you to hear. This basic technology is crucial in training your hearing to receive specific stimulation by amplifying sounds like the clattering of a ceiling fan or the hum of a dinner party.
You can augment those amplification efforts by the combination of other strategies, like counseling, sound stimulation, and stress reduction for a more comprehensive approach to treatment.
Fractal tones and irregular rhythms are even being used by some hearing aid makers. These rhythmically inconsistent tones can distract from the constant and regular tones tinnitus sufferers hear.
Other specialized devices try to blend your tinnitus in with the natural sounds you’re hearing. This strategy will generally use a white noise signal that a hearing expert can adjust to guarantee proper 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 goal of distracting the user away from the buzzing or ringing of tinnitus.
It’s true that there is no cure for tinnitus, but for at least some people, hearing aids help lessen 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