Does a Hearing Aid Stop Tinnitus?

Have you ever heard a ringing noise in your ears?

While this is someone everyone experiences now and then, some individuals deal with this ringing sensation frequently — and in severe cases, constantly. The perception of noise, such as ringing, in your ears, is known as tinnitus.

Tinnitus isn’t a condition but a symptom of an underlying condition often related to hearing loss or an ear injury. If you suffer from tinnitus, you’re likely looking for ways to prevent or limit the ringing in your ears.

El Dorado Hearing will walk you through what causes tinnitus and if hearing aids can stop tinnitus symptoms from occurring.

What causes tinnitus?

In most instances, tinnitus is caused or heightened by environmental factors or health conditions such as:

• Loud noises – Short-term exposure to loud noises, such as attending a concert or sporting event, can cause an individual to experience temporary tinnitus. However, frequent or long-term exposure to loud noises can eventually cause permanent damage to the individual’s hearing and result in tinnitus.
• Age – Hearing loss is a common occurrence as people age, which makes experiencing ringing in the ears more likely.
• Excess earwax – If a person doesn’t clear out their ear canal and has a blockage, it can lead to an irritated eardrum which causes tinnitus.

There isn’t much you can do to avoid hearing loss related to aging. Still, you can prevent the likelihood of experiencing tinnitus by limiting your exposure to loud noises and regularly cleaning out your ears.

Do hearing aids stop tinnitus?

Experiencing a constant ringing in your ears can be extremely frustrating, especially when you can’t find any relief. Although no case of tinnitus is the same, there are a few different treatment methods you can try to improve your hearing and minimize the ringing in your ears.

Because tinnitus occurs because of the lack of noise in the ear, one way to fix it is to introduce sounds into the ear. Hearing aids are one of the most effective methods for restoring hearing loss by amplifying the noise in the ear.

By correcting the hearing loss, the individual is less likely to experience the ringing sensation in the ears. While hearing aids won’t completely correct tinnitus, if tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, it will likely make an impactful difference for the person.

If hearing aids don’t offer the relief the individual is looking for, a hearing specialist may also recommend the following therapies to use alongside hearing aids:

• Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) – Having the patient undergo both sound therapy and counseling, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy helps them learn how to have greater control over their response to the tinnitus.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) – Depending on the severity of the condition, tinnitus can harm the individual’s mental health. MBSR trains the patient to use mindfulness to embrace and control the ringing in their ears.

In many cases, hearing aids will help the patient manage their tinnitus symptoms effectively and allow them to comfortably go about their day without dealing with constant ringing in their ears.

El Dorado Hearing is here to help

Take the first step to relief by scheduling a tinnitus evaluation with one of our skilled audiologists at El Dorado Hearing. If you or a family member is struggling with tinnitus, we can help you find a solution involving hearing aids to treat your hearing loss.

Our doctors of audiology specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating tinnitus with great success. Contact us to schedule an appointment.