Can Hearing Aids Stop Ringing in Your Ears?

Tinnitus is a condition characterized by buzzing and ringing sounds in the ears. Some people experience temporary tinnitus after attending a loud concert, or due to other reasons, such as earwax buildup, damage to the inner ear, or ear infection. Fortunately, temporary tinnitus will go away within a few hours after the concert, or once the underlying condition is treated.

However, people with prolonged exposure to loud noise often experience permanent tinnitus that impacts their quality of life, leading to communication problems, anxiety, poor sleep, and depression.

How Can Hearing Aids Help Tinnitus?

If you have tinnitus, using hearing aids or other sound amplification devices can provide significant relief. Modern hearing aids often include tinnitus features that help mask unwanted sounds while amplifying desired ones.

The following are a few ways in which hearing aids can help you cope with tinnitus:

• Auditory Stimulation: Hearing aids amplify the volume of external sounds, thus increasing the brain's auditory stimulation. Stimulating the brain's auditory pathways with soft sounds can distract you from and manage the bothersome noise from tinnitus.
• Masking Effects: Hearing aids can mask the sounds of tinnitus, enabling your brain to concentrate on external sounds. This masking effect is especially noteworthy for patients who have both hearing loss and tinnitus.
• Improved Communication: Loud tinnitus can make it difficult for people to talk on the phone, listen to the radio, follow a conversation, watch TV, etc. However, hearing aids can improve your hearing and focus and enhance the quality of your social interactions and engagement.

Though hearing aids can help reduce tinnitus, they might not work for everyone. Therefore, it is recommended that you visit your audiologist to discuss whether you can benefit from using hearing aids, or need other tinnitus treatment options in conjunction with hearing aids.

Other Tinnitus Treatment Options

Besides hearing aids, the following are a few other tinnitus treatment options that can help you cope with tinnitus:

• Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: This treatment uses sound therapy to rehabilitate your auditory system and train your brain to recognize and block out sounds associated with tinnitus. Though this therapy will not provide immediate results, it will help your brain learn to ignore unwanted sounds within a few months.
• Sound Maskers (White Noise Machines): Sound maskers produce white noise, low-level music, or other customized sounds to shift your attention away from tinnitus, making you less aware of it.

Should I Visit an Audiologist If I Experience Ringing in My Ears?

Tinnitus that occurs suddenly and disappears after a few seconds is completely normal and does not require any medical treatment. However, if the ringing persists, make sure to visit an experienced audiologist. If you are looking for an effective treatment or therapy to manage your tinnitus, schedule an appointment with our expert audiologist, Dr. Chris Hoffmann, today.