Most estimates put the amount of individuals 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 overall population, and in some countries, the amount of the population who experience tinnitus is even more startling.
True, tinnitus isn’t always chronic. But in those cases where ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears is tough to get rid of, finding a reliable remedy can very quickly become a priority. Luckily, there is a treatment that has proven to be quite effective: hearing aids.
Tinnitus and hearing loss are related but separate conditions. you can have hearing loss without tinnitus or tinnitus without hearing loss. But the two conditions occur together frequently enough that hearing aids have become a dependable solution, managing hearing loss and stopping tinnitus all at once.
How Hearing Aids Can Help Tinnitus
According to one study, 60% of people with tinnitus observed some amount of relief when they began using hearing aids. Approximately 22% of those surveyed reported significant relief. But, hearing aids are not designed specifically to treat tinnitus. Association seems to be the main reason for this benefit. 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 reduce tinnitus symptoms:
- Everything gets a bit louder: The volume of certain frequencies of the world become quieter when you’re suffering from hearing loss. When that occurs the ringing in your ears becomes a lot more noticeable. It’s the loudest thing you’re hearing because it is not diminished by your hearing loss. The ringing or buzzing that was so obvious will be obscured when your hearing aid enhances the external sound. As you tune out your tinnitus, it becomes less of a problem.
- It becomes less difficult to have conversations: Modern hearing aids are particularly effective at identifying human speech and amplifying those sounds. This means having a conversation can be much easier once you’re regularly wearing your devices. You can keep up with the story Carl is telling at the restaurant or listen to what Sally is excited about at work. When you have a balanced involved social life tinnitus can appear to disappear into the background. Interacting socially also helps minimize stress, which is related to tinnitus.
- The increased audio stimulation is keeping your brain fit: Hearing loss has been proven to put a strain on mental function. Tinnitus symptoms you may be experiencing can be reduced when the brain is in a healthy limber condition and hearing aids can help keep it that way.
The Benefits of Modern Hearing Aids
Modern hearing aids are intelligent. To some extent, that’s because they incorporate the newest technologies and hearing assistance algorithms. But the effectiveness of modern hearing aids is accomplished in part because each device can be customized and calibrated on a patient-per-patient basis (sometimes, they recalibrate according to the level of background noise).
Personalizing hearing aids means that the sensitivity and output signals can effortlessly be adjusted to the particular hearing levels you may have. The buzzing or humming is more likely to be successfully masked if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.
What is The Best Way to Get Rid of Tinnitus?
Your level of hearing impairment will dictate what’s right for you. If you haven’t had any hearing loss, you’ll still have available treatments for your tinnitus. Medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, or a custom masking device are some possible solutions.
But, if you’re one of the many people out there who happen to have both hearing loss and tinnitus, a set of hearing aids might be able to do the old two-birds-one-stone thing. Stop tinnitus from making your life miserable by managing your hearing loss with a good set of hearing aids.