Most estimates put the number of individuals affected by tinnitus in the millions or about one out of every seven people. In some countries, the numbers are even higher and that’s pretty alarming.
True, tinnitus isn’t always chronic. But in those instances where ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears is difficult to shake, finding a reliable remedy can very quickly become a priority. Fortunately, there is a remedy that has proven to be quite effective: hearing aids.
Tinnitus and hearing loss are connected but distinct conditions. you can have hearing loss without tinnitus or tinnitus without hearing loss. But both conditions occur together often enough that hearing aids have become a dependable solution, managing hearing loss and ending tinnitus all at once.
How Can Tinnitus be Managed by Hearing Aids?
According to one study, 60% of people who suffer from tinnitus noticed some measure of relief when they started using hearing aids. Roughly 22% of everyone surveyed reported considerable relief. However, hearing aids are not designed specifically to handle tinnitus. The benefits seem to come by association. So if you have tinnitus along with hearing loss then that’s when your hearing aids will most effectively treat the tinnitus symptoms.
Here’s how hearing aids can help stop tinnitus symptoms:
- Everything gets a bit louder: The volume of some of the wavelengths of the world become quieter when you’re suffering from hearing loss. When that happens the ringing in your ears becomes a lot more noticeable. Hearing loss is not decreasing the ringing so it becomes the most pronounced thing you hear. The buzzing or ringing that was so obvious will be obscured when your hearing aid boosts the external sound. Tinnitus becomes less of an issue as you pay less attention to it.
- Conversations become less difficult: Modern hearing aids are particularly good at identifying human speech and raising the volume of those sounds. So once you’re using your hearing aids on a regular basis, carrying on conversations gets a lot easier. You will be more engaged with your co-worker’s story about their kids and better able to participate with your spouse about how their day went. The more you connect with others, the more social you are, the less you’ll detect your tinnitus. At times, tinnitus is worsened by stress so being able to socialize can helps in this way too.
- Your brain is getting an auditory workout: When you have hearing loss, those parts of your brain tasked with interpreting sounds can frequently suffer from stress, fatigue, or atrophy. Wearing a hearing aid can keep the audio regions of your brain flexible and healthy, which in turn can help decrease certain tinnitus symptoms you may be experiencing.
Modern Hearing Aids Come With Numerous Benefits
Modern hearing aids are smart. They include innovative hearing assistance algorithms and the latest technology. But the efficiency of modern hearing aids is accomplished in part because each device can be customized and calibrated on a patient-by-patient basis (sometimes, they recalibrate based on the amount of background noise).
Whatever your specific hearing levels are, personalized hearing aids can easily be calibrated to them. The buzzing or humming is more likely to be successfully masked if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.
The Best Way to Get Rid of Tinnitus
This will most likely depend on your degree of hearing impairment. There are still treatment solutions for your tinnitus even if you don’t have any hearing loss. That could mean custom-created masking devices, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or medication.
But, hearing aids might be able to take care of both situations if you have tinnitus and hearing loss at the same time. Managing your hearing loss with a good pair of hearing aids can often stop tinnitus from making your life difficult.