Hearing Aids for Normal Hearing?

[monkey legs]

Are hearing aids for normal hearing worth it?

As I seem to be struggling more days than good with Tinnitus are hearing aids a good/bad idea?

Although both hearing tests come back as normal, I think something has gone wrong with my hearing (apart from the Tinnitus).

Anyone got normal hearing on here but uses aids for Tinnitus?

Many thanks.

 

[glynis]

When my hearing started to drop I still found comfort in my white noise generators but with the ringing getting louder and by hearing dropping more I worship my hearing aids now.
Hearing aids are set by computer to replace the missing frequencies and if your hearing is ok you won't gain any improvement as don't need extra amplification.
Love glynis

 

[monkey legs]

When my hearing started to drop I still found comfort in my white noise generators but with the ringing getting louder and by hearing dropping more I worship my hearing aids now.
Hearing aids are set by computer to replace the missing frequencies and if your hearing is ok you won't gain any improvement as don't need extra amplification.
Love glynis

I suppose what I am trying to say is the objective hearing tests are fine, but my subjective hearing seems different/worse. It may just be all the crazy nerves going on in my brain at the moment.

Would hearing aids block out the T?

Cheers Glynis and congrats on being a moderator. Couldnt happen to a nicer person ;o)

 

[glynis]

@monkey legs ,
Notice if your hearing is down more when your tinnitus is spiking and ask if you could do a trial with a hearing aid if your finding it impacting on your day.
Love glynis

 

[Agrajag364]

I am wondering if wearing a hearing aid when you have normal hearing might help tinnitus - via the theory of auditory gain?

I was recently given an in ear masker for tinnitus with the purpose of playing white noise. When I had a hearing test my hearing was superb within the normal frequencies. However for some reason the clinician also set up a hearing aid setting that seems to amplify my hearing further. The times I've used, my tinnitus seems a little better - even after I turn it off. So I began to wonder if this was due to the auditory gain theory - The way my tinnitus developed was - I was deaf for two months in one ear due to a misdiagnosed ear wax impaction. After about 1.5 months of on off deafness and a week of about 80% deafness in the impacted ear, my tinnitus developed. But when the wax was removed, whilst my hearing was totally restored, the tinnitus remained - but only in the ear that had had the long period of deafness. My understanding is tinnitus may develop according to the theory of auditory gain. Classically, hearing is lost with age, or suddenly, and the brain turns up the auditory gain i.e. turns up the volume to try to regain the lost sounds. Then of course one begins to hear internal noise that previously was not audible i.e., tinnitus. I wonder if my brain freaked out as it was suddenly deaf in one ear but had perfect hearing in the other, so turned up the auditory gain. Now it may be like with many things in the brain it's a bit hard to reverse something like that. But I wonder whether, in theory, if a person with normal hearing wears a hearing aid to enhance their hearing still further, the "auditory gain" phenomenon in the brain could be reversed over time?

TL;DR

Has anyone with normal hearing found hearing aids helped their tinnitus. Even long term, when they took the aid off? I wonder if this is happening via reversal of auditory gain

 

[MichaelF6161]

I know this is an old post, but Grant Searchfield did some research on this out of the University of Auckland, and the short answer to your question is yes, tinnitus can be reduced by enhancing the sound environment.

He's a big proponent of two hearing aids, BTE type, even if you only have moderate hearing loss in one ear. Oh, he also states the most audiologist miss hearing loss in the higher frequencies with a standard audiogram. They just aren't trained to properly evaluate tinnitus patients. He states that HA are under utilized and they should be in the top three steps you take to control your tinnitus; CBT, hearing aids, and Sound Therapy (so basically TRT with hearing aids).

I'm set up with a new audiologist (who I am hoping has experience with managing tinnitus) next month for this very purpose. I have moderate hearing loss in the right ear in the higher frequencies, and normal hearing in the left. Hoping to get fit with hearing aids for both, and I'd like to try Notch Therapy that Signia (Siemens) is now offering.

We shall see. I find it interesting that your tinnitus has not resolved since the cause of hearing loss has been cured. I'm thinking maybe with time and amplification, you might be one of the lucky ones. Hope so.