Scientists still haven’t identified the cause of tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears. However, there is one thing that all hearing specialists agree on, you are more likely to experience tinnitus if you also suffer from hearing loss.
As you probably know, your age, genetics, and lifestyle can all play a role in the development of hearing loss. And while it may seem as if the symptoms of hearing loss would be pretty obvious, when it’s still in the early stages, it frequently goes unnoticed. Unfortunately, your risk of experiencing hearing loss increases with even mild cases of hearing loss.
It’s not a cure, but hearing aids can help treat tinnitus
There is no cure for tinnitus. However, hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms can be improved as well as quality of life by using hearing aids. In fact, the similarities between hearing loss and tinnitus are pretty remarkable.
The frequency range that a person loses hearing in is often in sync with the pitch of their tinnitus symptoms. For example, a person who hears high-pitched ringing from tinnitus might suffer from high-frequency hearing loss. The idea is that the brain tries to compensate for the missing frequencies by producing tinnitus sounds in the same frequency range.
A traditional hearing aid can effectively hide the ringing or buzzing associated with tinnitus by replacing it with the appropriate sounds. Here’s the good thing, there are other, more advanced solutions beyond just traditional hearing aids to treat the symptoms associated with tinnitus.
Lessen symptoms of tinnitus with specialized hearing aids
Hearing aids pick up environmental sounds and boost frequencies you have trouble hearing. Even though hearing aids have a simple concept, they help teach your brain to receive certain stimulation again by amplifying noises like the rattling of a ceiling fan or the din of a dinner party.
But you can improve those amplification endeavors with a mix of other strategies like counseling, sound stimulation, and stress reduction for a more comprehensive approach to treatment.
Some manufacturers even utilize the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to lessen the symptoms of tinnitus. Tinnitus sufferers usually 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 prevalent fractal tones are similar to wind chimes that provide a soothing sound that overwhelms the ringing.
Other specialized devices try to blend your tinnitus in with the outside sounds you’re hearing. This approach will generally use a white noise signal that a hearing specialist can program to ensure proper calibration for your ear and your condition.
The common objective of these approaches is to help the user ignore tinnitus symptoms whether it’s by employing white noise systems, sound therapy, or blending.
Though tinnitus has no cure, hearing aids can help reduce the intensity of the symptoms and enhance quality of life, which is an alluring feature for the 50 million people who use hearing aids.
Want to talk about your tinnitus with a hearing professional?
For more information on decreasing tinnitus symptoms, check out our tinnitus section or call for a consultation.