Hearing Aids Make My Tinnitus Worse

[Ben Jubel]

I got my hearing aid today. When I first put it on the tinnitus was barely noticeable. But when I walked around, raised my eyebrows, or opens my mouth, the tinnitus fluctuated.

My hearing aid doctor told me that I needed to get used to this. However it seems as if I have already gotten used to the T after 4-5 months. At this point I wonder if it's worth it having the hearing aid on because If I walk the T fluctuates up and down with each step.

 

[NeoM]

Hearing aids? I thought you were in your early 20s? Is your hearing that bad?

 

[Ben Jubel]

Hearing aids? I thought you were in your early 20s? Is your hearing that bad?

Yes I am in my 20s. I had 2-3 hearing tests and the results say I have hearing loss

 

[Karen]

Ben,

I understand what you're going through with the hearing aids. I have hearing loss, too, in my right ear, and I thought a hearing aid/masker combination would help my tinnitus. However, I tried two different hearing aid types, and both of them irritated my tinnitus. This was during my 30-day free trial. One day I wore the hearing aid for about 6 hours straight, and when I removed it, my tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus were through the roof!

I'm afraid I ended up returning the hearing aid, even though my audiologist said I would get used to it. It just wasn't worth the discomfort, to me.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has experienced this problem.

 

[Mike82]

I'll have to join you in that camp too, Karen. I can't say my two-week trial of hearing aids was much of a success.

I certainly noticed the improvement in hearing! A couple of times I stuttered at hearing the sound of my own voice.

But the extra amplification did little to alleviate my tinnitus. If anything, it seemed to make it worse.

Maybe you just have to wear them for a lot longer, but after about 10 days, I had to take mine out.

 

[Martin69]

It all depends...
I have hearing loss above 6 kHz. My T is around 15 kHz.
A hearing aid should be tried if you have hearing loss below 6 kHz (in the speech area).
For my high-pitched T, the hearing aids did nothing. There is simply not enough input in the high-frequency area from the outside. My audiologist also said I don't need them.

So here is the rule (although of course I am no audiologist):
If your T is in the speech area or maybe < 8 kHz AND you have hearing loss there, a hearing aid could make sense. Because then you get more input from external sounds which could cover your T a little bit.

 

[Michael2013]

Hearing aids? I thought you were in your early 20s? Is your hearing that bad?

Huh? People of all ages have varying levels of hearing loss and deafness, not just older people. Are you equally surprised when you find out people in their 20's also commonly wear glasses?

-Mike

 

[Michael2013]

For what it's worth, my hearing aid does not make my tinnitus worse. I grew up with single sided deafness and partial hearing loss in my good ear, but I never had tinnitus until a more recent slight drop in hearing. For me, not wearing my hearing aid makes the tinnitus much more noticeable.

-Mike

 

[Michael2013]

For what it's worth, my hearing aid does not make my tinnitus worse. I grew up with single sided deafness and partial hearing loss in my good ear, but I never had tinnitus until a more recent slight drop in hearing. For me, not wearing my hearing aid makes the tinnitus much more noticeable.

In my experience, it took a good three months for me to adjust to wearing hearing aids. I didn't get them until later in life (just a few years ago).

-Mike

 

[Barbara777]

Does anyone have this problem? When I wear my hearing aids my T gets louder and turns into a whistle sound.

 

[Viking]

Does anyone have this problem? When I wear my hearing aids my T gets louder and turns into a whistle sound.

Remove them sudden! Hearing aids ruined my life with tinnitus after 7 years of coping with them. On june 2013 application of hearing aids without masking and after with masking made me suicidal. Remove it and think this; if we, suffering of tinnitus and hearing loss, must avoid the loud sound like phone headset and others, why apply 2 devices who amplify all sounds around us? It's a business!
best wishes and REMOVE!

 

[Karen]

Yes, the hearing aids made my tinnitus almost unbearable! I ended up returning them. I guess it just depends on the type of tinnitus you have. I have both a high-pitched hissing and pulsatile tinnitus. It just aggravated my pulsating instead of helping it.

 

[svintegrity]

Hearing aids made my tinnitus worse too. I tried two different kinds and then gave up.

 

[barbara r.]

Ok. I'm on week 3 with my h.a.s/maskers. Still don't know if I'll keep them. Yesterday, I didn't wear them, and my T was almost unnoticeable. I don't like the sensation of a louder world with the amplification. Don't like the hassle either. This website has been so informative.

 

[Richard zurowski]

My tinnitus is high piched I find hearing aids help me you will get used to wearing them .

 

[tarence]

I agree. I paid $5,000 for adjustable hearing aids with a masker. I noticed that I would have worsening, frequent and fluctuating bouts of my tinnitis & hypercusis. I stopped using the hearing aids and it eventually went away without returning. 5 monthly later I had the hearing aid turned downed because of the intensity. Within a short time, I'm experiencing very loud bouts of my tinnitus to the point where I can bare it and can't sleep. I'm going to stop the hearing aids again to see whether this flair up goes away. My suspicion is that it will stop.

 

[Florida John]

Ben,

I understand what you're going through with the hearing aids. I have hearing loss, too, in my right ear, and I thought a hearing aid/masker combination would help my tinnitus. However, I tried two different hearing aid types, and both of them irritated my tinnitus. This was during my 30-day free trial. One day I wore the hearing aid for about 6 hours straight, and when I removed it, my tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus were through the roof!

I'm afraid I ended up returning the hearing aid, even though my audiologist said I would get used to it. It just wasn't worth the discomfort, to me.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has experienced this problem.

maybe you have hyperacusis as well and so that is why its bothering you,,,I like the idea of hearing aids, but I had a hard time with them too,,,,or maybe settings were off,,just a bad situation for some of us