Scientists still haven’t determined 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.
Some of the main factors that contribute to hearing loss are genetics, age, and lifestyle. And while many of us think of hearing loss as being obvious, the truth is that some mild hearing loss can go unnoticed. Unfortunately, your risk of experiencing hearing loss increases with even minor cases of hearing loss.
Hearing aids can’t cure tinnitus, but they can help treat the symptoms
Tinnitus can’t be cured. However, hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms can be improved along with quality of life by using hearing aids. As a matter of fact, the similarities between hearing loss and tinnitus are rather remarkable.
The pitch or frequency of the ringing one hears when coping with tinnitus is usually in sync with the type of hearing loss that person encounters. For example, somebody who hears high-pitched ringing from tinnitus may suffer from high-frequency hearing loss. The idea 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 manage the symptoms produced by tinnitus.
Lessen symptoms of tinnitus with specialized hearing aids
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, be it the din of a dinner party or the rattling of a ceiling fan, is essential in training your brain to receive particular stimulations again.
But other combinations of strategies like sound stimulation, counseling, and reducing stress can also be utilized to enhance those amplification efforts and provide a more comprehensive treatment approach.
Some manufacturers even use the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to lessen the symptoms of tinnitus. These rhythmically irregular tones can detract from the constant and regular tones tinnitus sufferers hear. The ringing is drowned out by pleasant, wind chime-like sounds generated by the most prevalent fractal tones rather than simple white noise which can also be helpful in some cases.
Other specialty devices try to mix your tinnitus in with the outside sounds you’re hearing. This approach will typically utilize a white noise signal that a hearing specialist can program to ensure correct calibration for your ear and your condition.
The common intent of these methods is to help the user ignore tinnitus symptoms whether it’s through the use of white noise mechanisms, sound therapy, or blending.
It’s true that there is no cure for tinnitus, but for at least some of the 50 million suffering from the condition, hearing aids present an attractive possibility to reduce symptoms and live a better quality of life.
Have more questions about tinnitus?
For more information on decreasing tinnitus symptoms, check out our tinnitus section or call for a consultation.