Okay, so I had a thought for people with tinnitus that had little to no hearing loss. What if they got hearing aids which amplified the certain frequencies where the tinnitus is located (always to a safe level of course with amplification limited to a safe level) For example, if a person has tinnitus around 4 khz, the hearing aid is programmed to amplify 4 khz sound a reasonable amount of dB in an ambient environment. The idea being that the ambient noise will mix with the tinnitus and blend in or mask it. This would certainly alter a little the way a person perceives sound, but I think over time they would adapt and get used to it. What do you all think? Anyone try this before? I know since I have hearing loss, the hearing aids help quite a bit. I may talk to the hearing aid specialist if I get an appointment later in the coming week, but I know he is not an audiologist.
Would This Hearing Aid Manipulation Be Helpful or Harmful or People with Tinnitus? (Please Read)
- Thread starter JasonP
- Start date
Member- Aug 29, 2015
- 7,072
- Tinnitus Since
- 2004
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Meniere's Disease
Hearing aids are set on a computer to each persons loss over the frequencies.
Using hearing aids with no loss over time would give you hearing loss .
Maskers are better if you have no loss as would have no loss needing amplification. ..lots of love glynis
Using hearing aids with no loss over time would give you hearing loss .
Maskers are better if you have no loss as would have no loss needing amplification. ..lots of love glynis
Mine is set up to amplify at the point of frequency loss. Doesn't help with hyperacusis (which I have in a strange intermittent kind of way), which I actually think is a related but different process, but it certainly can rebalance your hearing, and I've noticed when wearing it (I have one only) that I become less aware of the tinnitus. Not perfect, but we've come a long way from the ear trumpet.
- Jun 26, 2014
- 2,264
- Tinnitus Since
- 11/2013
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Drugs barotrauma
Cool. I think I'm going to give them a shot. I have dip at around 1khz and then drops at 7-8khz. I heave really bad H but I think if they are programmed correctly it shouldnt make it any worse? I guess that's tough to tell until I try them.
Where is your hearing loss located ? And do you find the H more sensitive when you have the aid in?
I'm hoping I don't have such a blocked in feeling once I get these. I feel like my head and ears are stuffed up and not getting enough exterior input. Really hoping they can help.
Mine is sort of between 3000 and 6000 Hz in the left. My right starts to lose around 6000Hz, but there's no tinnitus or hyperacusis emanating from it. The aid does amplify sounds so if there are triggers for hyperacusis they will amplify them, but strangely that hasn't been as bad as I'd have expected. You should just trial it and see. Most reputable places allow for a fair money-back-trial period.
Sometimes I think that the distress the hyperacusis has caused has prevented me reckoning with the tinnitus itself. My aid also has a masker program built in, but the sound is very white, as is my tinnitus. Its a bit like blocking tinnitus with more tinnitus, but understanding the source of the added sound is oddly settling. I did use the aid with headphones (old Aerosmith too...quietly) and heard left channel stuff I'd forgotten was there.
Sometimes I think that the distress the hyperacusis has caused has prevented me reckoning with the tinnitus itself. My aid also has a masker program built in, but the sound is very white, as is my tinnitus. Its a bit like blocking tinnitus with more tinnitus, but understanding the source of the added sound is oddly settling. I did use the aid with headphones (old Aerosmith too...quietly) and heard left channel stuff I'd forgotten was there.
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