Around one out of every seven people are estimated to deal with tinnitus. That puts the overall number in the millions. That’s… a lot of people, both in actual terms and in relation to the overall population, and in some countries, the percentage of the population who experience tinnitus is even more alarming.
Sometimes tinnitus is temporary. But in those instances where buzzing, ringing, or humming in your ears is hard to get rid of, finding an effective treatment can very quickly become a priority. Fortunately, there is a remedy that has proven to be quite effective: hearing aids.
There are some connections between hearing loss and tinnitus but they are actually separate conditions. It’s possible to have tinnitus with average hearing or to have hearing loss without also developing tinnitus. But if you’re experiencing the two conditions together, which is pretty common, hearing aids can handle both at the same time.
How Can Tinnitus be Treated by Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids have, based on one survey, been reported to give relief of tinnitus symptoms for up to 60% of participants. For 22% of those people, the relief was considerable. But, hearing aids are not made specifically to handle tinnitus. Association seems to be the main reason for this benefit. As such, hearing aids seem 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 wavelengths of the world become quieter when have hearing loss. The ringing in your ears, in that situation, is much more obvious. It’s the loudest thing you hear because it is not diminished by your hearing loss. The ringing or buzzing that was so obvious will be obscured when your hearing aid boosts the outside sound. Tinnitus becomes less of a problem as you pay less attention to it.
- Conversations become easier: Amplifying human speech is something contemporary hearing aids are particularly good at. This means carrying on a conversation can become much easier once you’re regularly using your devices. You can follow the story Carl is telling at the restaurant or listen to what Nancy is excited about at work. The more you socialize with others, the more social you are, the less you’ll detect your tinnitus. Interacting socially also helps decrease stress, which is linked to tinnitus.
- The increased audio stimulation is keeping your brain fit: Hearing loss has been shown to put a strain on mental function. Tinnitus symptoms you might be experiencing can be decreased when the brain is in a healthy pliable condition and hearing aids can help keep it that way.
The Perks of Modern Hearing Aids
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 attained in part because each device can be refined and calibrated on a patient-by-patient basis (sometimes, they recalibrate according to the amount of background noise).
Customizing hearing aids means that the sensitivity and output signals can easily be adjusted to the particular hearing levels you might have. The better your hearings aid works for you, the more likely they are to help you mask the humming or buzzing from tinnitus.
What is The Best Way to End Tinnitus?
Your degree of hearing loss will dictate what’s best for you. There are still treatment solutions for your tinnitus even if you don’t have any hearing loss. That could mean custom-made masking devices, medication, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
But, hearing aids may 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 pair of hearing aids can often stop tinnitus from making your life difficult.