Comments on: Hearing Aids and Tinnitus – My Story

By: Yvonne bivens

Yvonne bivens — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:39:14 +0000

I’m not sure yet if I have Tinnitus because I’m still waiting to see a ENT so far my wait time is in February to be tested the ringing is annoying and has cause me to become very much alone and just reading some of your comment make me tearful I been having this for over a month now i’v been doing the white wash sounds with very little help I guess I just have to wait and seen what going to happen in February.

By: Hearing Aid Expert

Hearing Aid Expert — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:26:08 +0000

Sounds like you might need an adjustment to the fit of your hearing aid. Your professional should be able to do that for you. A simple test would be to take the battery out of the hearing aid and then place the aid in your ear. If you start to “stuff up” pretty quickly- it is the fault of the fit of the hearing aid- not the aid itself. Fit is part of what the professional is responsible for. If an aid does not fit correctly, it will never sound correct. Many problems with modern hearing aids regarding background noise and things like paper rustling and water running- are fit issues.

By: Bodenstaff Thea

Bodenstaff Thea — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:36:14 +0000

I have several hearing aids. As soon as I put them in my sinuses start blocking up.It drives me nuts and I take them out again. I need a hearing aid for comfort listening. Also at meetings or church. Any advice?

By: JudyH

JudyH — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:56:39 +0000

I have Tinnitis and in September got the Resound hearing aid for Tinnitis. I was not happy with it and wanted my money back and Resound agreed with my clinic to give me their new Alera TS made by Resound for Tinnitis. Good news it masked the Tinnitis to almost nothing. I would recommend you checking into it. I don’t think you’d be disappointed. How nice not to have the crickets in my ears all the time.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:10:55 +0000

How did you make out with your hearing aids and how bad is you tinnitus?
The only way I can get my tinnitus to be less in noise is to take Oxcarbazepine for depresstion and I am taking Lorazepam to take to edge off.
My tinnitus is very high in pitch and it never goes down without the medications.
I look forward to your reply. Dan

By: Huh?What?

Huh?What? — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:55:08 +0000

HEARING LOSS, TINNITIS & DISTORTION. I have hearing loss [genetic/in family] & LOUD tinnitis [genetic also]. I’m 70, started with 1 aid in mid 30s, advanced to 2 aids in 40s. Yes, from my experience, the digital aids are horrid for tinnitis. The tones of the digital are very irritation on the sensitive nerves [?] & the tinnitis gets louder & [for me] only a good nights sleep helps. One ear tinnitis sounds like a thousand crickets, the other ear sounds like a train in the near distance. I’ve had no injury or reason for the tinnitis. Had it all my life. Distortion is the inability to understand spoken word even with good volume. Wearing aids has never bothered me as hearing well & distinguishing what is said is my highest priority. In fact, I wear my hair in a Jamie Lee Curtis cut so my hearing aids show & everyone automatically knows I’m hearing impaired. I wish volume was my only problem. Speaking to persons with foreigh accents is almost impossible with distortion. I’m in process of researching for new aids & it is very very stressful finding the right audiologist who understands my problems & sells more than a couple brand of aids & tries to “push” their brand on consumers. I hate to say this, but I’m beginning to compare hearing aid sales with new car dealerships….sell same brands in volume & get kick backs? Never thought I’d feel this way, but experience is a great teacher! I realize no one audiologist can know the workings of every brand of aid, but we consumers are really at the mercy of audiologists. Expensive hearing aids in dresser drawers not only take $ away from families, there is no improvement in quality of family life. Guess I’m just too honest & open with my opinions, but I don’t understand how we’ve sent a man to walk on the moon & have such a problem getting hearing aids that to the job.

By: Hearing Aid Expert

Hearing Aid Expert — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:36:43 +0000

I am not aware of any study that has really nailed down the effect of a hearing aid on tinnitus. I have years of anecdotal experience with patients reporting relief from tinnitus with proper correction of their hearing loss. Some patients get a great deal of relief, some get none. I have never found a way to predict the results; as results are highly subjective. The difference between a digital and an analog should make no difference in how the ear reacts to tinnitus. Digital is just a way of “customizing” the hearing aid to the patients individual loss. In most cases, the digital product offers more customization and thus a better “fit”. However, with more ways to customize the response, comes the possibility to mess it up more. Just because you have a 120 piece socket set, rather than a 48 piece socket set; does not make you a better mechanic. The success or failure of a hearing aid fitting is far more dependent on the skill of the hearing professional than any other single item.

I have found some patients who reported that the hearing aid reduced the tinnitus enough while wearing them, that when they were removed- the patient seemed to feel that the tinnitus was louder in comparison when they retired for the night.

In theory, any increase in noise level should have a detrimental effect on hearing.My experience, however, has been the exact opposite. Patients who did not wear hearing aids in the face of needing them, suffered more understanding loss than patients who began wearing hearing instruments sooner. My own thoughts are that since the hearing aid is only “replacing” or compensating for the loss that already exists; there is no additional damage being done. That is not a scientific answer, I just have a hunch that it is along the correct lines. The best hearing aid fittings report that the wearing of the hearing aid is “transparent”. I personally notice the absence of my hearing aids more than I notice the presence of them. Just like good health is defined as the total unawareness of your body.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:47:12 +0000

Does anyone have any perception that tinnitus might be worse after using digital aids? Just starting a trial, but it seems tinnitus is louder at night after aids have been removed. Could all the amplified sound from hearing aids worsen nerve deafness and increase this problem? Thanks for letting me know if you have experienced this and if any independent studies have been done to assess the risks.

By: Joyce Keay

Joyce Keay — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:09:54 +0000

I have tinnitus (high-pitched ringing) probably caused by years and years of typing on noisy electric typewriters. It has never really bothered me but lately it has been starting to get to me. I will be fitted for aids next week and hope I can minimize the tinnitus. Your comments and experiences will be very helpful in evaluating the fitting experience. The audiologist I am going to is in the office of an ear/noise/throat doctor and people think highly of him so I should be OK. I have one question and that is if I don’t find something I like at that audiologist’s office, what generally is their response if you ask for a copy of the prescription (I can’t think of another name for it) so you can take it elsewhere to evaluate other aids not offered by him? Thank you.

By: Tony D

Tony D — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:19:58 +0000

HELP I feed my family singing for a living. I’m 49 and had a stroke almost 2 yrs resulting in hearing loss. my family dr. said it was most likely tinitus. I’ve seen several audio guys who have tested me and say there is nothing wrong with my hearing.
even tell me that I hear better than 98% of the people they test so it must be a preception problem not a hardware problem.If I plug my ears then unplug I can hear fine for a few seconds but its as if they overload quickly. I have no decernable ringing or buzzing but a great deal of distortion, hissing, and white noise, Like hearing a loud broken speaker. Any idea’s? Will hearing aids help with tinitus? The three audio doc’s I’ve seen don’t seem to want to try to help much. I keep getting the standard anwser. This is really tuff. Thks for anyone that can help me.