Hello
I don't want to repeat what has been said. I have not read this entire thread. I just wanted to share my experience with Audible tinnitus hearing aids. I do not have any affiliation with starkey or audibel.
I went through a free trial of the Audibel tinnitus hearing aids. My hearing professional ask me to try them. Audibel send a representative to his office to program them to my particular hearing loss (4k) and ringing. The hearing aids produce a tone that "fits" them to your ear canal. The rep dialed in my hearing loss profile and and then said "OK, I'm turning them on".
I heard a slight hiss but after 20 seconds, the hiss was gone. So was the ringing.
Audibel uses a very soft hiss (white noise?) that your brain tunes out after less than a minute. I told her "The hiss is gone" and she said how do they sound. I have to say, I had not had that quiet feeling for 6 months. I went into this trial not really caring to spend 5 grand and I had gone through all the anxiety, crying, and depression, and I was "moving on" with much success (and ringing). These things were a breath of fresh air.
I wear them 24 hours a day. I don't even think about the T. I found this forum and actually have not participated because it actually brought me down just being reminded I had T. I've now revisited just to give you my account of what I've experienced with hearing aids.
By the way, the key to Audible's concept is to produce the noise canceling tone (which you can't hear) and amplify your hearing at the frequency of the loss. My left ear is fine, but the rep added just a slight bit of amplification to again contract the T in the right ear.
I love these things. 24 hours a day requires you to learn how to clean both your ears and the devices. When I say clean, I mean taking them apart to clean internal microphone filters and air grids (the aids, not my ears
. I also clean and replace the wax guards every 3-4 days. Batteries last about 2 1/2 days. Batteries are cheap on Amazon (60 / $23) If you wear these 24 hours a day, you have to keep them clean. All of this has just become routine. Takes me 5 minute every 6-7 days on the cleaning of the device. My ears? I wash my ears daily in the shower and remove all wax that can clog the aids.
I have to say, I'm glad I tried this. I know a lot of you have suffered under this uncontrollable event that has happened to you and it can change your life. Mine life has returned to normal.
Recently my internal microphones became clogged. I had to send them back to audible. My hearing professional sent them fedex overnight and they came back 4 days later. How did I do? Very well. The ringing was back, annoying, but not as bad as before and of course, only temporary as the aids came back (they sent brand new ones - no charge). I know they are costly for some. Most hearing professionals have payment plans. Hearing aids have a life of about 8 years. That to me is a worthwhile time for the money and how it has brought normalcy to my life again. On top of that, I can hear much better! Ask my wife!
Go for the free trial. Costs nothing to try. Not even a charge for the office visit. If it works for you, you can work out the finances later.