Can hearing aids help tinnitus?

The truth about tinnitus treatments

There is a lot of misinformation about tinnitus treatments or cures on the internet. From tinnitus teas to ear seeds, all claiming to cure this terrible ‘disease’. As an audiologist, I’ve seen it all and I feel like it’s my duty to bring some truth back to the internet on this topic.

First of all, tinnitus in and of itself is not a ‘disease’. It is a symptom or perception that can occur for several different reasons, with hearing loss being one of the most common. Tinnitus could be an indicator of any great number of things, from stress to blood pressure. Sometimes, when we can identify and manage a contributing factor, the tinnitus can improve too.

Tinnitus caused by hearing loss

As an audiologist, tinnitus caused by hearing loss is something I see almost daily. How we think hearing loss contributes to tinnitus can actually be explained quite simply. When the brain starts to receive less auditory stimulation because of hearing loss, it tries to compensate for that missing input. One result of those changes can be tinnitus, almost as though the brain is ‘filling in the gap’ with its own sound. Therefore, when we then treat the hearing loss, by reintroducing the sound it has lost, many of my patients find that their tinnitus becomes much quieter, or goes entirely, whilst their hearing aids are in situ.

Can hearing aids cure tinnitus?

The key to knowing if your tinnitus can be helped by hearing aids, is to find out what is causing your tinnitus in the first place.

However, tinnitus can be incredibly intrusive and distressing. Quite often in practice, I have found that tinnitus can initially be caused by one thing, yet the presence of it can then be exacerbated by stress. If this is the case, and hearing loss was the initial cause of your tinnitus, hearing aids alone may not entirely ‘cure’ your tinnitus. Things like meditation and mindfulness can then also help manage any tinnitus flare ups.

Final thoughts

When it comes to tinnitus, I disagree with the notion that nothing can be done about it. We may not currently have a universal cure, but that absolutely does not mean we can’t help people manage it and significantly reduce the impact it has on their lives. One of the biggest pieces of advice I give is to try not to constantly monitor or check your tinnitus. That is so much easier said than done, but the more attention and emotional importance we give a sound, the harder it can become for the brain to filter it into the background. If you believe your tinnitus may be caused by hearing loss, the first step is always to have a tinnitus consultation with a qualified audiologist.