Tinnitus, which people often just call “ringing in the ears,” affects millions of people around the world. It can be as quiet as a buzzing sound once in a while or as loud as a steady noise that makes it hard to focus, relax, or even sleep. The good news is that hearing aids can help a lot of people with tinnitus. This piece will talk about how hearing aids can help with tinnitus and give you advice from audiologists on how to best deal with this condition.
What is hearing loss?
People with tinnitus hear sounds that aren’t coming from anywhere else, like ringing, buzzing, hissing, or whistling. It can be brought on by loud noise, ear infections, hearing loss that comes with getting older, or other health problems. Tinnitus is not a sickness in and of itself, but it is often a sign of something else going on, especially hearing loss.
Tinnitus and Hearing Aids: How They Can Help
Hearing aids are often used to help people who have lost their hearing, but they can also help a lot with tinnitus. How to do it:
1. Making outside sounds louder
People who have both hearing loss and tinnitus may notice their tinnitus more in quiet places because there is less outside sound to block out the noise inside. Tinnitus is less obvious when hearing aids are used because they bring more sounds into the environment. This makes the tinnitus less noticeable against the background noise, which helps cover up the ringing or buzzing.
2. What Sound Therapy Does
A lot of new hearing aids have sound therapy options for people with tinnitus. White noise, soft tones, or nature sounds can be made by these devices, which can help cover up the tinnitus and make it less bothersome. This effect can help people focus on things outside of their ears instead of the ringing inside their ears.
3. Better input for hearing
When people with hearing loss don’t hear as much, their tinnitus often gets worse. Hearing aids help by amplifying sounds around you, which may help your brain focus on these sounds instead of the noise inside your head that is caused by tinnitus.
4. Help for the mind
Hearing aids can help ease some of the stress and worry that come with tinnitus by making hearing better and lowering its volume. It is also possible to feel less tinnitus by reducing your worry. This is because stress makes the symptoms worse.
How to Deal with Tinnitus with Hearing Aids: Advice from an Audiologist
If you want to get hearing aids to help with your tinnitus, here are some tips from audiologists that will help you get the best results:
1. Get a full diagnostic hearing test
It is very important to get a full hearing test from an audiologist before choosing hearing aids. The results of this test will tell you how bad your hearing loss is and whether hearing aids can help your tinnitus.
Tip: If you have tinnitus, audiologist knows so they can help you find the best treatment and hearing aid benefits for your needs.
2. Look for hearing aids that can mask tinnitus.
When it comes to managing tinnitus, not all hearing aids are the same. Some hearing aids are made to help with tinnitus and come with features like sound therapy programs or white noise generators that can be customized.
Tip: Talk to your expert about hearing aids that are designed to help people with tinnitus. Some brands, like Phonak, Oticon, and Widex, make products that use sound therapy to help people feel better.
3. Think about the pros of open-fit hearing aids
Hearing aids that are open-fit can help people with tinnitus the most because they let both natural and boosted sounds into the ear. In this way, the occlusion effect (a feeling of being “plugged up”) that can make tinnitus more obvious when hearing aids are worn is lessened.
Tip: Try out different types of hearing aids with the help of your expert. More comfort and better tinnitus reduction may come from an open-fit model than an in-the-ear (ITE) model.
4. Do sound therapy regularly
It is possible for your hearing aids to help train your brain to focus less on your tinnitus if you use them regularly. Audiologists often say that you should wear your hearing aids all day so that your brain can get used to the louder surroundings.
Tip: To find the best sound treatment setting for you, try different ones, like white noise, soft music, or ocean waves. Your audiologist can help you change these sounds so they work better for you.
5. Use techniques for relaxation
Anxiety and stress can make tinnitus worse. Audiologists say that besides using hearing aids, people with tinnitus should also try relaxation methods like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, or meditation.
Tip: Many hearing aids can connect to apps on your phone that offer guided meditation or mindfulness techniques. This makes it easier to use sound therapy and stress reduction together.
6. Let your brain get used to the changes.
When you first start using hearing aids, it will take some time for your brain to get used to the sounds that are increased and the sounds that are blocked out by sound therapy. You can expect this process to take a few weeks or even months.
Tip: Be patient with your progress and do what your audiologist tells you to do to slowly wear your hearing aids for longer periods of time. The more often you wear them, the faster you’ll notice that your tinnitus perception gets better.
7. Keep up with regular follow-up visits
Taking care of tinnitus is an ongoing process, and your hearing aids may need to be adjusted over time to work at their best. Going back to see your audiologist on a regular basis will let them fine-tune your hearing aids and make sure that the sound therapy is helping to reduce your ringing symptoms.
If you notice changes in your hearing or tinnitus, you should get checked out at least once a year.
Extra Advice on How to Deal with Tinnitus
There are a few other things you can do besides using hearing aids to help ease tinnitus:
Limit your exposure to loud noises: Keep your ears away from too much noise, as loud places can make tinnitus and hearing loss worse. When it’s loud, you might want to use earplugs.
Take care of your health: Tinnitus can be made worse by health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, or ear infections. By taking care of these issues, you can make tinnitus less bothersome.
Stay away from too much caffeine or alcohol: For some people, both caffeine and drink can make their tinnitus worse. Cutting back on these drugs might help ease the symptoms.
Make use of white noise machines: If you have trouble sleeping at night or in quiet places, a white noise machine can help block out your tinnitus by making noise in the background.
Hearing aids are a good way to deal with tinnitus, especially for people who also have trouble hearing. Hearing aids can help people with tinnitus feel better by amplifying outside sounds and offering sound therapy choices. Getting a full exam, picking the right hearing aid features, and doing sound therapy are all things that audiologists say will help you get the best results. You can better deal with tinnitus and enjoy life more if you
get the right hearing aids and regular help from your audiologist.
