Most estimates put the amount of people impacted by tinnitus in the millions or around one out of every seven people. That’s… a lot of people, both in absolute terms and in relation to the general population, and in a few countries, the percentage of the population who experience tinnitus is even more startling.
Sometimes tinnitus is temporary. But in those instances where buzzing, ringing, or humming in your ears is tough to shake, finding a reliable remedy can very quickly become a priority. Fortunately, there is a treatment that has proven to be rather effective: hearing aids.
Hearing loss and tinnitus are connected but distinct conditions. you can have hearing loss without tinnitus or tinnitus without hearing loss. But the two conditions coexist frequently enough that hearing aids have become a practical solution, managing hearing loss and ending tinnitus all at once.
How Can Tinnitus be Managed by Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids have, according to one survey, been reported to give tinnitus relief to up to 60% of participants. For 22% of those individuals, the relief was significant. In spite of this, hearing aids are actually made to treat hearing loss not specifically tinnitus. Association appears to be the main reason for this benefit. So if you have tinnitus and 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:
- Outside sounds are boosted: The volume of certain wavelengths of the world become quieter when have hearing loss. The ringing in your ears, in that situation, is much more noticeable. It’s the loudest thing you hear because it is not impacted by your hearing loss. A hearing aid can increase that surrounding sound, helping to mask the buzzing or ringing that was so prominent before. As you pay less and less attention to your tinnitus, it becomes less of an issue.
- Conversations become less difficult: Amplifying human speech is something modern hearing aids are particularly good at. This means carrying on a conversation can be much easier once you’re regularly wearing your devices. You can follow the story Fred is telling at happy hour or listen to what Sally is excited about at work. The more you connect with others, the more social you are, the less you’ll notice your tinnitus. Interacting socially also helps decrease stress, which is associated with tinnitus.
- Your brain is getting an auditory workout: Hearing loss has been shown to put stress on cognitive function. Tinnitus symptoms you might be experiencing can be reduced when the brain is in a healthy limber condition and hearing aids can help keep it that way.
The Perks of Modern Hearing Aids
Modern hearing aids are intelligent. They include cutting edge hearing assistance algorithms and the newest technology. But it’s the ability to personalize a hearing aid to the specific user’s requirements that makes modern hearing aids so effective (sometimes, they recalibrate according to the amount of background noise).
Customizing hearing aids means that the sensitivity and output signals can conveniently be calibrated to the specific hearing levels you might have. The better your hearings aid works for you, the more likely they are to help you cover up the buzzing or humming from tinnitus.
The Best Way to Stop Tinnitus
This will probably depend on your level of hearing impairment. If you haven’t had any hearing loss, you’ll still have available treatment options for your tinnitus. 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 impairment with a good set of hearing aids can often stop tinnitus from making your life miserable.
