Around one in seven individuals are estimated to suffer from tinnitus. That puts the total number in the millions. In a few countries, the numbers are even higher and that’s pretty alarming.
Sometimes tinnitus is temporary. But if you’re dealing with persistent tinnitus symptoms it becomes crucial to find a treatment as soon as possible. Luckily, there is a remedy that has proven to be rather effective: hearing aids.
Hearing loss and tinnitus 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 practical solution, managing hearing loss and stopping tinnitus all at once.
How Can Tinnitus be Treated by Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids have, according to one survey, been documented to give tinnitus relief to up to 60% of participants. Approximately 22% of those surveyed reported significant relief. But, hearing aids are not made specifically to treat tinnitus. Association seems 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 enhanced: The volume of some of the wavelengths of the world become quieter when have hearing loss. When that happens the ringing in your ears becomes much more obvious. It’s the loudest thing you hear because it is not impacted by your hearing loss. The ringing or buzzing that was so obvious will be masked when your hearing aid enhances the external sound. Tinnitus becomes less of a problem as you pay less attention to it.
- It becomes less difficult to engage in conversations: Increasing the volume of human speech is something modern hearing aids are particularly good at. So once you’re using your hearing aids on a regular basis, carrying on conversations gets a lot easier. You can follow the story Carl is telling at the restaurant or listen to what Nancy is excited about at work. When you have a balanced interactive social life tinnitus can seem to disappear into the background. Socializing also helps reduce stress, which is associated with tinnitus.
- The increased audio stimulation is keeping your brain fit: Hearing loss has been shown to put stress on mental function. Tinnitus symptoms you may be experiencing can be decreased when the brain is in a healthy pliable condition and hearing aids can help keep it that way.
Modern Hearing Aids Come With Several Benefits
Modern hearing aids are intelligent. They include cutting edge hearing assistance algorithms and the latest technology. But the efficiency of modern hearing aids is accomplished in part because each device can be customized and calibrated on a patient-by-patient basis (they can even sense the amount of background noise and automatically adjust accordingly).
Whatever your particular hearing levels are, customized hearing aids can easily be calibrated to them. The buzzing or humming is more likely to be successfully masked if your hearing aid is dialed in to work best for you.
The Best Way to Stop Tinnitus
This will most likely depend on your degree of hearing impairment. There are still treatment options for your tinnitus even if you don’t have any hearing impairment. That could mean custom-created masking devices, medication, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
But, hearing aids might be able to take care of both situations if you have tinnitus and hearing loss at the same time. Stop tinnitus from making your life miserable by treating your hearing loss with a good pair of hearing aids.
