Scientists still haven’t pinpointed 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 cope with hearing loss.
Some of the main factors that play a role in hearing loss are genetics, age, and lifestyle. And while many of us think of hearing loss as being obvious, the truth is that some slight hearing loss can go undetected. Worse, even a slight case of hearing loss raises your risk and likelihood of developing tinnitus.
It’s not a cure, but hearing aids can help treat tinnitus
Tinnitus can’t be cured. 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 rather remarkable.
The pitch or frequency of the ringing a person hears when coping with tinnitus is usually in sync with the type of hearing loss that person has. As an example, if somebody has hearing loss in the high-frequency range, they will usually hear a high-pitched ringing from tinnitus. The idea is that the brain tries to compensate for the missing frequencies by creating tinnitus sounds in the same frequency range.
A traditional hearing aid can essentially hide the ringing or buzzing connected with tinnitus by replacing it with the appropriate sounds. Fortunately, tinnitus symptoms can be managed in other more advanced ways than traditional hearing aids.
Specialized hearing aids to lessen tinnitus symptoms
Hearing aids pick up environmental sounds and amplify frequencies you can’t hear very well. Even though hearing aids have a simple concept, they help train your brain to experience particular stimulation again by amplifying noises like the rattling of a ceiling fan or the buzz of a dinner party.
But other combinations of methods like sound stimulation, counseling, and minimizing stress can also be utilized to enhance those amplification efforts and supply a more complete treatment approach.
Some manufacturers even utilize the irregular rhythm of fractal tones to lessen the symptoms of tinnitus. Tinnitus sufferers usually hear tones that are consistent and regular which can sometimes be disrupted by the irregular rhythms of these fractal tones. While white noise devices are available, the most common fractal tones sound somewhat like wind chimes that provide a soothing sound that drowns out the ringing.
Mixing natural sounds from your environment with your tinnitus is the objective of other specialized devices. 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 intent of these approaches is to help the user disregard tinnitus symptoms whether it’s by employing white noise systems, sound therapy, or blending.
It’s true that tinnitus can’t be cured, but for at least some of the 50 million suffering from the condition, hearing aids provide an attractive possibility to reduce symptoms and live a better quality of life.
Want to discuss your tinnitus with a hearing specialist?
For more information on reducing tinnitus symptoms, take a look at our tinnitus section or call for a consultation.