Hearing Aids

[Karl]

...

Please advise on tinnitus masker or hearing aid?

-Thanks

My vote: Get the hearing aids.

I had maskers, for about year. Today, I have hearing aids. There is no comparison.

I do two things to reduce my tinnitus:

1. Hearing aids to balance my hearing.
2. I listen to a sound therapy for a couple hours a day. The sound is approximately the same tone as my tinnitus. (Back in the 1970's, a researcher by the name of Feldman, determined that tinnitus can be temporarily suppressed by listening to a pure tone)

This seems to be working for me.

 

[just1morething]

I will definitely try hearing aids, as I have put them off too long. I had ordered them in April from a hearing aid person, but never followed thru on that. My drug combinations have been too inconsistent to control my head noise. I was great yesterday, but fairly bad today. Not acceptable at all.

I may also talk to the local Audiologist and see what they say. In the past they referred me to the Tinnitus Clinic in Edina, MN. I will still experiment somewhat with TMJ disorders, as well as cervical problems and also certain medications.

 

[click]

My vote: Get the hearing aids.

I had maskers, for about year. Today, I have hearing aids. There is no comparison.

I do two things to reduce my tinnitus:

1. Hearing aids to balance my hearing.
2. I listen to a sound therapy for a couple hours a day. The sound is approximately the same tone as my tinnitus. (Back in the 1970's, a researcher by the name of Feldman, determined that tinnitus can be temporarily suppressed by listening to a pure tone)

This seems to be working for me.

I frequently think about trying hearing aids...

Karl - can you expand on how it's working for you please? Has your tinnitus got quieter or less frequent or is it the ability to cope which has increased and so you can cope more easily. Just wondering if your sound therapy has had a real impact.

@Karl

ta ... click

 

[carlover]

Hi Click...If you have any hearing loss then you have to have a go ,the NHS open ear digitals are fine.

 

[Karl]

I frequently think about trying hearing aids...

Karl - can you expand on how it's working for you please? Has your tinnitus got quieter or less frequent or is it the ability to cope which has increased and so you can cope more easily. Just wondering if your sound therapy has had a real impact.

@Karl

ta ... click

Hi Click.
I remember based on what you've written, your tinnitus comes and goes - which is great for you! Mine is the ordinary variety of tinnitus that's due to hearing loss. I think hearing aids only work for those of us with hearing loss. They restore the balance.

When I put the hearing aids on, it almost goes away. There is a quite noticeable difference. For years, many audiologists have known about this trick, that hearing aids can suppress tinnitus for some people with tonal tinnitus.

The sound therapy that I've been doing is based on something I read about. On page 5 of "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy", Jastreboff and Hazell wrote the following:

"Contrary to the masking of external sounds, it is possible to abolish the perception of tinnitus sounds by pure tones of a similar intensity, regardless of their frequency (Feldmann, 1971)...Consequently, the elimination of the perception of tinnitus by another sound should be labeled suppression rather than 'masking', as is commonly used. Unfortunately, Feldmann's fundamental discovery has been widely disregarded, resulting in focusing attention on masking rather than suppression and in producing tinnitus instruments tuned to the dominant perceived pitch of tinnitus."

So, I listen to an MP3 file of a pure tone at my tinnitus frequency at a barely audible level. I do this a couple of times a day. Other people on this website who are making their own Acoustic Nueromodulation-type files, which is similar.

I'm fortunate because my T is not that bad. Perhaps I'm just habituating.

 

[just1morething]

I was just fitted for ReSound hearing aids for tinnitus...earlier today. They were programmed to my most recent audiogram in June.

http://www.gnresound.com/hearing-aids/hearing-aid-products/alerats

I did not know that the ear canal is what holds them in place. You have to put them quite deep into your ear. I also have a remote control for them (optional), but think it is only for the white noise. Two white noise levels & off, with variable adjustment within each and no overlap. Also, a manual button on the hearing aid for white noise changes & off.

I think the batteries need to be changed about every 5 days and they will beep when they need replacement. I suppose the batteries wear out sooner when using white noise. You need to take the hearing aid out every night to aerate your ear and to open the battery door to shut off.

The audiologist was very nice and wants to see me back on 8/26/13
Initial evaluation is that.....they itch somewhat in the ear canal.

I will follow up on if I think there is a beneficial effect on my tinnitus and also my opinion on the white noise at a later date. There is a 45 day trial period before having to buy or return them.


Note: I am new to hearing aids and they are partly held in place by the snug fit in the ear canal and also the (BTE) behind the ear main component.

 

[Markku]

Finally, @just1morething

Great to hear you got the aids. Hopefully the itching will subside in a few days. Your ears may take a while to get accustomed to them!

Waiting for the follow up.

Best of luck my friend!

 

[just1morething]

Thanks Markku, My Finland friend! I will keep you & others updated.

 

[Bacus]

One more voice endorsing hearing aids, I have been using hearing aids for about 5 weeks now.
Prior to this my tinntus was very, very, bothersome. Now it is at an acceptable levell.

I have to admit that I went back to the gym at the same time of using hearing aids, I am not sure if its the combination or just the hearin aid .

I have high frequency hearing loss.

Wishing that T level will stay the same.

But.......if wishes were horses beggars will ride.

 

[Bacus]

Oops, I meant to say two weeks not five, sorry.

 

[just1morething]

My early opinion on hearing aids is good, along with perhaps a anxiety/depression drug. The ReSound website that I highlighted earlier is worth reading, especially about the vicious cycle of tinnitus and how it affects our state of mind.

Tinnitus is as individual as you are
It can be:

• A buzzing or ringing in the ears
• A hissing or roaring sound
• High-, low-, single- or multi-toned
• Occasional or constant

The tinnitus vicious cycle
Tinnitus can trigger negative emotions. Often the severity of your reaction depends on your perception of the sound. If it's negative, you're likely to have a negative emotional response. When you do, it can make your brain pay more attention to the tinnitus. And a cycle begins that affects your nervous systems. Anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression and poor concentration can occur, all of which reinforce the vicious cycle.

You can break the vicious cycle
Using ReSound Verso TS, in combination with informed counseling and acoustic therapy, can bring you significant relief. Your emotional response to the tinnitus changes, and your nervous system responds differently as well.

 

[Karl]

just1morething -
Great to hear that you are trying the aids. When I first got them, they really wiped me out, because I wasn't used to hearing normally. It took me a week or two to get used to them.

Tinnitus is a lot like going bald. Instead of losing hair on your head, tinnitus is typically caused by coclear hair loss/damage. And that hair isn't coming back - no matter how much we lament and pray for those little hairs to come back.

For many people, hearing aids are a bionic fix for hearing, which can also alleviate/suppress tinnitus. Some lucky people experience complete suppression using hearing aids. I think how well they suppress is a matter of how well the hearing aids have been adjusted to compensate for a person's hearing loss.

Hearing aids vary in the number of amplifiers. The more amplifiers, the more finely tuned the hearing aid can be fitted to an audiogram. I have the least expensive Widex hearing aids, with only 3 amplifiers. I think that some hearing aids have 12 amplifiers.

 

[just1morething]

Thanks Karl - When I woke up this morning my tinnitus was at a higher level and appeared to come from my left ear or TMJ area. I forgot to use my TMJ appliance last night. I believe you said you have tonal tinnitus. Does that mean your noise volume and tone stays pretty much the same?

Mine T is ramped up this morning, so the hearing aids are not very effective right now. Last night everything seemed fine. I can relate to losing hair on your head as I have that problem also. Are you sure my hair won't come back on my head?

I used my hearing aids on Sunday at a family reunion and my ears were fine all day even with the noise, so I seemed normal again and I was happy. I thought my eyeglasses fixed my vision so the hearing aids would fix my hearing ( lose my tinnitus I mean)

So I am confused today as to the origin of my tinnitus or if I have multiple origins. I will continue to wear the aids and also look at my TMJ & neck issues. I get my neck nerves burned (RF Neuro Ablation) on 8-22-13. A bit of confusion and disappointment for me today.

My highest white noise setting on my aids is close to my tinnitus volume right now. Maybe it will get better later in the day. I have no idea how many amplifiers are on my hearing aids and I may check into that.

 

[LadyDi]

Interesting thread. When I went to my first audiology evaluation, I was given two choices for sound therapy: Neuromonics and a Widex Zen hearing aid, without amplification. I apparently have some high frequency hearing loss, but very little. The aud seemed to think I might prefer the Widex, although I was leaning toward Neuromonics (which is almost twice as expensive, but has a counseling protocol as well).

Anyway, I decided not to go with this practice, as they were a private entity and had no staff on the psychology/psychiatry side of the issue. Hanging in there so I can get into the U of Miami program. I will be interested to see if they present me with the same two choices.

 

[Karl]

Thanks Karl - When I woke up this morning my tinnitus was at a higher level and appeared to come from my left ear or TMJ area. I forgot to use my TMJ appliance last night. I believe you said you have tonal tinnitus. Does that mean your noise volume and tone stays pretty much the same?
....

just1morething/Columbo -
There's an adjustment period.

Does it seem like things are quieter when you put the hearing aids on? If so, that's the objective, to get a duration of quiet time. Of course when you take them off, your tinnitus will be back (Remember those "Chucky " movies in the 1980's? "Chucky's back!"? How I hated that little demon doll).

It may seem louder due to the difference in volume between having them on and having them off. But I don't want to mislead you. Stick to you gut feeling, but also give it time. Sometimes there can be a fine line between "hanging in there" and torturing yourself.

By "tonal", I mean mine is sort of constant, but it's also pretty slight. At first when I got T, it was a whole lot louder - like a constant "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee", and I couldn't even sleep! At some point it changed to a white noise/buzz. I can still hear a pitch of about 4 kHz, but it's almost not there anymore. I really think that listening to MP3 sound files of pure tones made the sound of my T change.

I don't use any of the tinnitus features on mine, even though it has this Zen stuff and white noise. Some people love those chimes.

LadyDi -
I agree that, if you have only slight hearing loss, it would be a waste of money to buy those things. My hearing loss isn't all that bad, but I do notice I can hear better with the Widex aids.

 

[jazz]

@just1morething Don't worry if your tinnitus spikes. It will be temporary. The hearings aids were set by an audiologist and so they will not damage your hearing or worsen your tinnitus. Your temporary loudness results from your ears getting used to the hearing aids. My audiologist told me to wear them constantly to speed up the adjustment period. Now, if you are still very loud after a week, you might go back and ask for an adjustment. But I'd wait a week or two before I did this. You need to give everything time. I know this is so frustrating, but understand it took your brain a while to "learn" the tinnitus sound so it will likewise take it as long (or longer) to "unlearn" it. (Actually, the hearing aids just facilitate habituation, but for many, including myself, the noise is greatly reduced.)

@Karl Congrats on your suppression. Way to go!! My hearing aids have significantly reduced my noise and, as the months pass, it seems I keep getting lower. For the last five days, in fact, I was only rarely aware of my noise. But I still spike and fluctuate. Both are primarily diet related, though I also have sound recruitment issues which limits my enjoyment of music, etc.

I think the recruitment issue is why I can't do sound therapy. Whenever a sound or sounds are near my tinnitus tone(s), my head noise spikes something awful. Do you know anything about recruitment? Not everyone with tinnitus has it, but I do and it complicates my therapy choices.

And, Karl, thanks for the information on amplifiers!

 

[Karl]

jazz -
Great advice. I am also happy that the your hearing aids are working out so well. Ditto on my experience.

It's a bit tricky giving advice for something like this, since we all react so differently.

About "recruitment", this is a new term for me. I'm looking at "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy", on p. 48, and it says,

"Recruitment, defined as an abnormally high slope of loudness growth, is a necessary outcome of sensorineural hearing loss and results from a reduction in the OHC population in the cochlea....Recruitment is an inevitable result in a shifted threshold (without a change in the maximal level of sound that the patient will tolerate) and occurs only with cochlear damage."

This is a difficult concept for me to grasp, but I'll give it a try. I think it means that with hearing loss, we tend to overeact to equal changes in loudness (during an audiogram test ?) compared to a person with normal hearing.

In regards to the sound therapy that I listen to, it's at a a barely audible level.

 

[jazz]

@Karl Thanks for the information. I'm going to do some more research on recruitment, for I believe it prevents a lot of people from enjoying sounds--even at normal levels. It's different than hyperacusis, but unlike the former, I do not believe it ever goes away.

 

[just1morething]

just1morething/Columbo -
There's an adjustment period.

Does it seem like things are quieter when you put the hearing aids on? If so, that's the objective, to get a duration of quiet time.

Ok....right....that makes sense. Oh, but there is just one more thing Karl, what if the damn hearing aids don't help my tinnitus.... then what do I do?

Look Karl, I am looking to take any help I can get, and I am very grateful for all the help you have given me! (my best Columbo style talk lol , but not me.) Copied his phrases.......meant to be humorous.

-C

 

[just1morething]

The hearings aids have so far not eliminated my tinnitus. My left hearing aid got too much ear wax in it so it stopped beeping for the white noise. The audiologist said to clean the ear wax off. (I know I'm dumb! ) I cleaned it with the brush provided and it worked again.

I still don't have a yes/no answer as to if the hearing aids help me or not. I will see the audiologist tomorrow on the wireless mic for my mp3 player to my hearing aid (bluetooth?) That would me nice if it works. The white noise is not loud enough to cover my T at times and it would be nice to have a variety of sounds connected wirelessly to the hearing aid ...if possible.

Thanks @Karl & @ jazz for your help. I may need more!

 

[mike b]

I will definitely try hearing aids, as I have put them off too long. I had ordered them in April from a hearing aid person, but never followed thru on that. My drug combinations have been too inconsistent to control my head noise. I was great yesterday, but fairly bad today. Not acceptable at all.

I may also talk to the local Audiologist and see what they say. In the past they referred me to the Tinnitus Clinic in Edina, MN. I will still experiment somewhat with TMJ disorders, as well as cervical problems and also certain medications.

Read my post in treatments !!!!!

 

[mike b]

The hearings aids have so far not eliminated my tinnitus. My left hearing aid got too much ear wax in it so it stopped beeping for the white noise. The audiologist said to clean the ear wax off. (I know I'm dumb! ) I cleaned it with the brush provided and it worked again.

I still don't have a yes/no answer as to if the hearing aids help me or not. I will see the audiologist tomorrow on the wireless mic for my mp3 player to my hearing aid (bluetooth?) That would me nice if it works. The white noise is not loud enough to cover my T at times and it would be nice to have a variety of sounds connected wirelessly to the hearing aid ...if possible.

Thanks @Karl & @ jazz for your help. I may need more!

Read my post in treatments !!!!!

 

[Liz Windsor]

hello everyone on TT - I joined some months ago near the onset of tinnitus in October 2012, I haven't posted anything before as I didn't know if I had anything useful to add to the comments but have felt very supported in reading everyone's posts. I just thought I'd mention my experience with hearing aids. Like most people here, I've tried most things: gingko biloba, magnesium, acupuncture, resveratrol, amytriptaline, cranial osteopathy, massage, GABA, l-theanine, etc, etc., - all to no avail. I've had an MRI scan (negative). Finally, after jumping through NHS hoops (another story), I've been giving hearing aids to try and help and I would like to say that they help for me somewhat when I'm wearing them. Basically, they increase the sounds around me so reduce my focus on the tinnitus. The first time I wore them, I wondered what the incredibly loud noises were around me (my shoes as I was walking, my bracelets jangling together, the hurricane outside (just a bit of wind in the trees). It's not a cure-all and when you take them out at night, the tinnitus is back, loud as ever, but they have enabled me to have some measure of relief and helps me cope with it a bit. Just thought it may help someone who is thinking of this. I know they are very expensive and am grateful to the NHS for providing them to me. I also (when a bit desperate) take a low dose of amitryptaline as it knocks me out for hours (can only do this at the weekend!).. and woke up at 1pm today. Doesn't help the tinnitus but at least can escape for a while. Sometimes I feel if I could be put in some sort of coma for a few weeks I might wake up and it would be gone.... Should also mention that I was tested for the trial for acoustic neuromodulation in Newcastle some months ago and fulfilled all the criteria except that my tinnitus pitch was much too high - 12,000.. so didn't accept me. So, bearing in mind that my main hearing loss is in the very high frequencies but still have some relief from the hearing aids which are programmed to a much lower level and they still help might be of interest. My tinnitus started after a fairly stressful period in my life and starting a very stressful job and I truly believe that the stress played a major part in all this. I'm now in the process of trying to change my life - selling house, moving somewhere with no constant aeroplane noise, maybe part time work etc.... I wish everyone here lots of good wishes and, like you, hope for some sort of medical solution in the future. I was terribly sad to read Englishman's posts but hope he comes back and joins everyone.. it does help to know you're not alone in this. Just for the record, my Tinnitus is constant, very loud, high pitched like a dentist's drill, fills my head and I can hear it above everything, hasn't stopped for a second since October 15th 2012 (I remember it well......)... and for the newer people on here, you do somehow find a way to live with it...

 

[carlover]

Nice post liz,thanks for sharing.All the best,pete

 

[Karl]

Ok....right....that makes sense. Oh, but there is just one more thing Karl, what if the damn hearing aids don't help my tinnitus.... then what do I do?

just1morething-
I'm sorry that I didn't read your post until tonight.

You are asking an important question, 'What if the hearing aids don't help?" Then, return them. They may be the wrong type. You can always try them another time. I know that you are pushing pressure on yourself to fix this problem. We're all in the same boat. It sucks.

For some people. they are a 100% fix. For a whole lot of others they are 60% fix. For others, they are a 0% fix.

I will try to give you a more thoughtful reply, with further insights if I can think of them. Let me think about it tonight
- Karl

 

[Dhaval]

Hi all

Hope every one is doin great. I just found an article on hearing aids and when one should consider using it.

There's a lot of stigma and even self doubt when it comes to this but you'd also consider reading this.


http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/news/Buying/Benefits/47578-Hearing-aids-prevent-auditory

And this
http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/articles/Buying/Benefits/45963-Hearing-aids-look-young

 

[LadyDi]

I actually may consider a Widex hearing aid, similar to what @mikeb uses -- and my hearing is just fine. They can be used for habituation, just like Neuromonics, and may be a lot more portable. @jazz and @Markku have been very knowledgeable and supportive as I work toward starting some kind of TRT or sound therapy. They also both mentioned: You may need to try a couple different things to find what works best for you. So flexibility (and a free trial period), as Jazz says, is important.

 

[jazz]

I actually may consider a Widex hearing aid, similar to what @mikeb uses -- and my hearing is just fine. They can be used for habituation, just like Neuromonics, and may be a lot more portable. @jazz and @Markku have been very knowledgeable and supportive as I work toward starting some kind of TRT or sound therapy. They also both mentioned: You may need to try a couple different things to find what works best for you. So flexibility (and a free trial period), as Jazz says, is important.

Keep us posted and good luck!! You're on the road to recovery.

 

[just1morething]

Just updating on the ReSound Alera hearing aid microphone. I thought the quality of the sound wireless to the hearing aid from my mp3 player would be good , but was disappointed. The wired earphones sound is much better with a richer and deeper sound.

I am still unsure on ReSound Alera and may try the Widex Zen from a different audiologist at the same time. I still have some time within the 45 day trial period on the ReSound.

 

[jazz]

Just updating on the ReSound Alera hearing aid microphone. I thought the quality of the sound wireless to the hearing aid from my mp3 player would be good , but was disappointed. The wired earphones sound is much better with a richer and deeper sound.

I am still unsure on ReSound Alera and may try the Widex Zen from a different audiologist at the same time. I still have some time within the 45 day trial on the ReSound.

@just1morething I'm also considering the WidexZen. This Friday I'm getting fitted with their Dream series. Although my audiologist is pleased with my progress, I still have bad days and still spike several times a month. I don't understand this volatility. @Karl has very good suppression and no spikes (from what I've read). And he uses Widex.

Of course, my tinnitus' variability may have nothing to do with my hearing aids. The Starkey's greatly reduced my noise, and I have several days each week when I hear almost nothing! But if I don't try the Widex, I'll never know if full (or nearly full) suppression is possible.

Good luck with your Widex and keep us posted. I will do the same with my hearing aids. It will be interesting to compare results--since now three people on TT are trying or using Widex.