Around one out of every seven people are estimated to suffer from tinnitus. That puts the total number in the millions. In some countries, the numbers are even higher and that’s pretty alarming.
Sometimes tinnitus is temporary. But if you’re coping with persistent tinnitus symptoms it becomes crucial to find a treatment as soon as you can. Luckily, there is a remedy that has proven to be really effective: hearing aids.
Tinnitus and hearing loss are related but distinct conditions. It’s possible to have tinnitus with average hearing or to experience hearing loss without also getting tinnitus. But the two conditions coexist often enough that hearing aids have become a practical solution, treating hearing loss and ending tinnitus all at once.
How Hearing Aids Can Treat Tinnitus
According to one study, 60% of people who suffer from tinnitus reported some measure of relief when they started using hearing aids. Roughly 22% of those surveyed went so far as to report considerable relief. In spite of this, hearing aids are actually designed to deal with hearing loss not specifically tinnitus. Association appears to be the principal reason for this benefit. So if you have tinnitus along with hearing loss then that’s when your hearing aids will most successfully treat the tinnitus symptoms.
Here’s how hearing aids can help stop tinnitus symptoms:
- External sounds are enhanced: When you have loss of hearing, the volume of the world (or, at least, specific frequencies of the world) can fade away and become quieter. When that occurs the ringing in your ears becomes much more obvious. It’s the loudest thing you hear because it is not diminished by your hearing loss. A hearing aid can boost that surrounding sound, helping to drown out the ringing or buzzing that was so forefront before. As you pay less and less attention to your tinnitus, it becomes less of an issue.
- Conversations become easier: Modern hearing aids are particularly effective at identifying human speech and amplifying those sounds. So once you’re using your hearing aids regularly, carrying on conversations becomes a lot easier. You will be more involved with your co-worker’s story about their children and better able to participate with your spouse about how their day went. The more you socialize with other people, 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 also.
- Your brain is getting an auditory workout: When you have hearing loss, those regions of your brain tasked with interpreting sounds can often suffer from fatigue, stress, or atrophy. Wearing a hearing aid can keep the audio centers of your brain limber and healthy, which as a result can help decrease some tinnitus symptoms you may be experiencing.
Modern Hearing Aids Come With Several Benefits
Smart Technology is incorporated into modern hearing aids. To some extent, that’s because they integrate the latest technologies and hearing assistance algorithms. But the effectiveness of modern hearing aids is accomplished in part because each device can be refined and calibrated on a patient-by-patient basis (they can even sense the amount of background noise and automatically recalibrate accordingly).
Whatever your particular hearing levels are, personalized hearing aids can easily be calibrated to them. The humming or buzzing is more likely to be effectively masked if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.
What is The Best Way to End Tinnitus?
Your level 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 options.
However, 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 difficult.