How hearing aids help tinnitus
Tinnitus and hearing loss are closely linked. Hearing loss is a common cause of tinnitus as it effects the auditory input to your brain. This can lead to unwanted activity in your brain. Sometimes this results in tinnitus as the brain compensates for changes in the inputs it is used to.
People’s individual experience of tinnitus can differ greatly but improving your hearing with hearing aids can help to soothe your tinnitus symptoms.
Tinnitus Features
In addition to helping soothe your tinnitus by improving your hearing, your hearing aids come equipped with specific features to help you manage your tinnitus day-to-day.
Use sound therapy for tinnitus to play soothing tones, white noise, or even custom sounds, directly from your hearing aids. This can help to mask the troubling sounds of your tinnitus and shift your attention away from them so you can focus on more important things.
Our experts work with you to recommend the right hearing aids for you and give you guidelines on how to use their sound therapy features to better your quality of life.
Personalised to your comfort
Based on the results of your tinnitus assessment, we fine tune your hearing aids to your hearing profile. You can be confident they’ll perform to the standard you expect.
You’ll also be able to control volume, sound, and additional settings. This allows you to adjust your hearing aids to your daily environment. Follow-up appointments are included, so we can make sure you’re happy with how they’re working.
We know hearing aids can be a big commitment and you need to be comfortable wearing them. We offer a range of styles, including behind-the-ear and in-the-ear models as well as neutral colours for you to choose from. Each style is small and discrete so you can wear it knowing your hearing aid is barely visible.
Additional features
Beyond improved hearing and sound therapy for tinnitus, additional features can help to further improve your quality of life:
· Easy to use settings: control volume and sound settings from your phone
· Stream from your phone directly to your hearing aids for brilliant sound quality
· Better speech clarity lets you enjoy conversations with friends and family
· Easily rechargeable for your convenience
FAQs about Hearing Aids for Tinnitus
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Will my hearing aid have specific features for tinnitus?
We provide a range of hearing aids which come with specific sound therapy features for tinnitus which allow you to play soothing tones and noises, and custom sounds directly from your hearing aids. As part of your decision making process about whether or not to purchase hearing aids, we can discuss how the feature works and provide you with guidelines about how it can be best used by you whilst wearing your hearing aids.
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How do hearing aids work?
A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing loss by amplifying sound. Hearing aids require configuration to match the hearing loss and acoustic characteristics of the hearing aid user. Hearing aids work by amplifying sound through a three-part system: The microphone receives sound and converts it into a digital signal. The amplifier increases the strength of the digital signal. The speaker (or receiver) produces the amplified sound into the ear. The main aim of the hearing aid is to amplify speech sounds, with the most important frequencies for speech occurring from 250 to 8,000 Hz.
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How do hearing aids help tinnitus?
Did you know that hearing loss is a common cause of tinnitus? Sometimes, when your brain adapts to hearing loss it can result in you experiencing tinnitus. Improving your hearing with hearing aids can help you better manage your tHearing aids may reduce tinnitus by providing auditory stimulation. Research suggests that tinnitus may be caused by loss of input; when hearing aids amplify sound it provides stimulation to the auditory nerve and increases overall auditory input. In addition to this, with an increase in overall amplification the tinnitus itself may be less noticeable. This may be particularly beneficial to those who experience tinnitus most in quiet environments.
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How many people with hearing loss also suffer from tinnitus?
Hearing loss is a common cause of tinnitus. Estimates from the Hearing Loss Association of America have put the number of people experiencing tinnitus at 80 – 90%.
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How do you decide which hearing aids to recommend for me?
Before we recommend any hearing aids for you, we carry out a tinnitus assessment which includes an evaluation of how your tinnitus is affecting your day-to-day life as well as a hearing test. Based the results of this, we may recommend a certain hearing aid based on its performance for your hearing profile i.e. is it suitable to improve your hearing loss.
Then we can work with you to ensure that your hearing aid is comfortable and fits well as well as allowing you to choose a colour of your choice. We will also discuss additional features with you which you may like, such as tinnitus sound therapy or streaming to mobile devices. Combining each of these factors we’ll arrive at the best hearing aid to recommend for you.
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How long do I need to experience tinnitus for before I can get hearing aids from Otologie?
Generally, we wait until you have had a tinnitus for 3 months before we would recommend any of our treatment options, including hearing aids. The reason for this is that after 3 months, tinnitus is classed as chronic. If you have started to experience tinnitus recently, it may fluctuate more significantly than if you have been experiencing it for longer or potentially subside without treatment intervention. At 3 months we can be more confident that your tinnitus is stable, allowing us to better assess and prescribe suitable treatments to manage it.
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How long does it take for my hearing to adjust to a new hearing aid?
It takes approximately 6-8 weeks for the brain to adjust to the new sound being produced by the hearing aid.
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Do I need to get two hearing aids?
If our audiologists recommend one or two hearing aids will depend on the results of your assessment with our audiologists. Based on your audiometric evaluation, our audiologists may recommend you for hearing aids. Depending on if you have hearing loss in one or both ears, they may prescribe one or two hearing aids. Ultimately, the final decision to proceed with one or two hearing aids will be yours.
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What type of hearing aids do you provide?
We provide a range of difference hearing aids from GN Resound. Our audiologists can discuss the different options available to you in great details if are thinking of proceeding with hearing aids.