Tinnitus is one of the most common hearing issues people are facing lately. It is the result of problems in our brain, not our ears. In simple words, it is ringing or buzzing in the ears. The sounds are not of outside or external source. There are many possible causes such as hearing loss, aging, or specific medications. It could also happen due to injury in the auditory system parts – outer, inner or middle ears, the auditory nerves or the center of hearing in the brain. It can also occur with no cause at all.
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways to alleviate it. Tinnitus might strike people with or without hearing loss. The treatment that works for one patient might not work for another. Many studies have shown that hearing aids help moderate tinnitus by soothing its symptoms. They are the starting point for patients suffering from tinnitus. They will not stop it, but they will relieve much of the uneasiness and discomfort symptoms that accompany it such as tension, pain in the head and neck, sleeping problems, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and sometimes depression. How can they do that? They can block tinnitus by adding new sounds to the sound patients are already hearing.
Hearing loss, one of the most known common causes of tinnitus, affects the auditory system and leads to unsolicited activity in the brain. Hearing aids can bring auditory stimulation back to the brain. They can restore quiet background noises that the patient may be missing. With the amplification of hearing aids, external sounds can activate the auditory system and restore neural functions. Patients will be able to focus on the sounds they want to hear. They will be less aware of tinnitus and enhance communication with their surroundings.
Based on the assessment of audiologists and hearing care professionals, hearing aids can be fine-tuned to the patient’s hearing profile. They will be able to regulate volume, sound and any additional settings. Bilateral hearing aids, wearing one on each ear, is more beneficial than wearing only one.
Today’s hearing aids supplied with wireless media streaming and paired with smartphones apps can be used to minimize the symptoms and reduce and lessen stress, which usually makes tinnitus worse. Many features in hearing aids facilitate the use of them when suffering from tinnitus. They are associated with masking features, known as white noise, usually known as tinnitus sound generators (TSG). The hearing aids have sound generators built in which mask the ring or buzz the patient is hearing and make it unnoticeable.
Because tinnitus is unique and differs from one patient to another, it’s very important to choose the right hearing aid for tinnitus for you, in addition to the treatment plan discussed and planned with your audiologist. There aren’t immediate remedies for tinnitus, but there are lifestyle changes you can adapt to manage it.