Around one in seven individuals are estimated to suffer from tinnitus. That puts the overall number in the millions. In some countries, the numbers are even higher and that’s pretty startling.
Sometimes tinnitus is goes away on it’s own. But if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus symptoms it becomes imperative to find a remedy as soon as you can. One of the most practical of such treatments is already quite common: hearing aids.
There are some connections between tinnitus and hearing loss but they are in fact distinct conditions. you can have hearing loss without tinnitus or tinnitus without hearing loss. But if you are experiencing the two conditions simultaneously, which is fairly typical, hearing aids can treat both at the same time.
How Hearing Aids Can Help Tinnitus
According to one study, 60% of individuals who suffer from tinnitus reported some measure of relief when they began using hearing aids. Approximately 22% of those surveyed went so far as to report considerable relief. But, hearing aids aren’t manufactured specifically to treat tinnitus. Association appears to be the main reason for this benefit. As such, hearing aids appear to be most effective if you have tinnitus and hearing loss.
Here’s how tinnitus symptoms can be decreased with hearing aids:
- Outside sounds are boosted: The volume of some of the frequencies 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’re hearing because it is not decreased by your hearing loss. A hearing aid can boost that surrounding sound, helping to mask the buzzing or ringing that was so prominent before. Tinnitus becomes less of a problem as you pay less attention to it.
- It becomes less difficult to have conversations: Contemporary hearing aids are particularly good at identifying human speech and amplifying those sounds. This means carrying on a conversation can become much easier once you’re routinely using your devices. You will be more involved 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 interact with others, the more social you are, the less you’ll detect your tinnitus. Sometimes, tinnitus is intensified 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 regions of your brain charged with interpreting sounds can often suffer from stress, fatigue, or atrophy. Using a hearing aid can keep the audio regions of your brain limber and healthy, which as a result can help reduce some tinnitus symptoms you might be experiencing.
The Perks of Modern Hearing Aids
Smart Technology is built into modern hearing aids. They include cutting edge hearing assistance algorithms and the latest technology. But the efficiency of modern hearing aids is attained in part because each device can be refined and calibrated on a patient-per-patient basis (sometimes, they recalibrate based on the level of background noise).
Whatever your particular hearing levels are, customized hearing aids can conveniently be calibrated to them. The better your hearings aid works for you, the more likely they are to help you cover up the humming or buzzing from tinnitus.
The Best Way to Stop Tinnitus
This will probably depend on your degree of hearing loss. If you haven’t had any hearing loss, you’ll still have accessible treatments for your tinnitus. That could mean custom-made masking devices, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or medication.
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 loss with a good set of hearing aids can often stop tinnitus from making your life difficult.