Scientists still haven’t identified the cause of tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears. Hearing specialists, however, do agree that tinnitus is more prevalent in people who also have hearing loss.
As you most likely know, your age, genetics, and lifestyle can all play a role in the progression of hearing loss. And while many individuals think of hearing loss as being obvious, the reality is that some mild hearing loss can go unnoticed. Unfortunately, your risk of developing hearing loss increases with even slight cases of hearing loss.
Hearing aids can’t cure tinnitus, but they can help manage the symptoms
Tinnitus can’t be cured. However, hearing aids can treat both hearing loss and tinnitus in ways that can decrease symptoms and enhance one’s quality of life. There are some rather remarkable similarities between tinnitus and hearing loss, in fact.
The pitch or frequency of the ringing a person hears when dealing with tinnitus is typically in sync with the type of hearing loss that person encounters. As an example, if someone has hearing loss in the high-frequency range, they will often hear a high-pitched ringing from tinnitus. The concept is that the brain tries to compensate for the missing frequencies by generating tinnitus sounds in the same frequency range.
Tinnitus sounds can be effectively “masked” by a hearing aid which can drown out the offending sound and replace it with one that’s supposed to be heard. Here’s the good thing, there are other, more advanced options beyond just traditional hearing aids to treat the symptoms associated with tinnitus.
Specialized hearing aids to reduce tinnitus symptoms
Hearing aids pick up environmental sounds and boost frequencies you have trouble hearing. Even though it may be simple in design, that amplification of noise, whether it’s the din of a dinner party or the rattling of a ceiling fan, is crucial in training your brain to experience certain stimulations again.
But other combinations of strategies like sound stimulation, counseling, and minimizing stress can also be utilized to enhance those amplification efforts and provide a more complete treatment approach.
Some manufacturers even use the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to lessen the symptoms of tinnitus. Tinnitus sufferers typically hear tones that are constant and regular which can sometimes be interrupted by the irregular rhythms of these fractal tones. While white noise devices are available, the most common fractal tones are similar to wind chimes that provide a soothing sound that drowns out the ringing.
Other specialized devices attempt to mix your tinnitus in with the natural sounds you’re hearing. This strategy will generally use a white noise signal that a hearing specialist can adjust to ensure accurate calibration for your ear and your condition.
The common aim of these methods is to help the user disregard tinnitus symptoms whether it’s through the use of white noise systems, sound therapy, or blending.
Though tinnitus can’t be cured, hearing aids can help reduce the intensity of the symptoms and enhance quality of life, which is an attractive feature for the 50 million people who use hearing aids.
Want to talk about your tinnitus with a hearing professional?
If you’re experiencing ringing or buzzing in the ears, check out our tinnitus section for more information on ways to minimize symptoms.