If you suffer from tinnitus, you may be exploring ways in which to minimise your symptoms and be wondering if a hearing aid could be useful. But let’s start by looking at tinnitus to better understand how a hearing aid can help.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition that causes you to hear noises that do not come from an external source. Often it’s described as a ringing or buzzing sound, but this isn’t the only way in which tinnitus manifests.
It can also come in the form of a humming, whooshing, hissing, throbbing or even musical or singing sound. Tinnitus might not be present for you all the time – the symptoms can come and go. However, the condition is often linked to some form of hearing loss.
Sometimes tinnitus is treatable, but in other cases the cause is unknown and it’s a condition you will need to learn to live with.
Can a hearing aid help with my tinnitus?
If you suffer from tinnitus, using hearing aids can help – even if it won’t completely get rid of the noise you hear in your ears.
Scientific research has found that hearing aids can help in two main ways. Firstly, by making you less aware of the noise your tinnitus causes. By amplifying the sounds in your external environment, a hearing aid will make you focus less on the tinnitus noise.
Secondly, hearing aids can be useful because they help you hear what people are saying more clearly. One of the frustrations for many people with tinnitus is that it makes it harder to hear what’s being said in conversations, so using hearing aids can help reduce the impact that tinnitus has in this area.
In addition, the research shows that wearing hearing aids in both ears has the greatest benefit for those with tinnitus.
But it’s important to note that each person’s situation will be different, which is why opting for private hearing aids can be a good bet. This ensures that you get a device that is tailored to your needs.
You will also have a personalised consultation with an audiologist who can help you learn how to get the most out of your hearing aids. The recommendations will be based on the results of your hearing test and you’ll even have an opportunity to use the recommended hearing aids on a free two-week trial to make sure it’s the right fit for you.
Often, what are known as open ear aids are recommended for those with tinnitus. That means the hearing aid itself sits behind your ear and is connected to a moulded dome that sits in your ear.
The advantage to this kind of hearing aid is that it also allows you to hear some sounds naturally, while amplifying others, so it can help you focus on what’s happening around you rather than the tinnitus noise.
There are other types of hearing aid available too though, so it’s important to have a consultation with an audiologist to ensure that you can find the one that best meets your needs.