Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing in the ears, but it also can sound like roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing. It may be soft or loud, high pitched or low pitched. People might hear it in either one or both ears. The symptoms of tinnitus can last from two minutes or can be there constantly.
For some people, tinnitus can be really intrusive while others can easily just ignore it.
Hearing loss is commonly associated with tinnitus, and in fact, tinnitus is often an early sign of damage to the delicate inner ear hair cells. This being said, some people with normal hearing also experience tinnitus.
For many people, tinnitus is related to sound deprivation; so, some form of hearing loss. Fitting hearing aids aim to correct any such hearing loss. By correcting hearing loss, hearing aids can reduce the impact of tinnitus by improving your brain’s ability to hear sounds and by lowering your level of stress when trying to listen to sounds. Many new digital hearing aids include tinnitus masking functions, which play white noise or ocean wave sounds directly into the ear. Adding pleasant sounds to the sounds you hear already can help you move your attention towards the sounds you want to hear, rather than the sound in your head. Compare it to listening to a single violin in a room. Alone, you can only focus on the violin, but if you add a symphony orchestra to the violin, it becomes less distinct and part of the overall sound.
Hearing aids help you hear sounds around you better, like birds singing or the air conditioner. Hearing these soft ambient sounds can actually help cover the sound of tinnitus. This makes it more difficult to hear the ringing tinnitus consciously and helps the brain focus on the outside, ambient noises. The masking impact of hearing aids is particularly vital for patients who have hearing loss in the same frequency range as their tinnitus.
Loud tinnitus can make it difficult — or even impossible — for some clients to participate in regular conversations and social activities. Many have trouble with following a conversation, talking on the phone, watching television, listening to the radio, etc. Hearing aids help by making speech clear and distinct. As a result, clients feel less personal frustration and social isolation.
At Hearing Sense, we go above and beyond for our clients, doing everything we can to help them find the right solution for their hearing loss and tinnitus. If you believe you are suffering from tinnitus and would like to discuss if hearing aids could work for you, book a FREE appointment with our Tinnitus Treatment Clinic in Adelaide today.
