Hearing Aids Help Those Suffering from Tinnitus, Real Condition – Not All in Your Head
By Kolleen on Feb 10, 2010 in Articles, Health, Shopping, Society | comments(1)
A countless number of adults, as many as 10 to 15 percent according to one study, suffer from prolonged tinnitus which is a perceived sound in your head when there is no outside noise or sound present, this is the definition given by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. That is a large number of the population, and unfortunately many of them feel as if they are going crazy because no one else hears the noises and sounds that they distinctively hear on a continuing basis.
Hearing aids may help those suffering form tinnitus because according to many otolaryngologist, an ear nose and throat doctor, tinnitus is a side effect of hearing loss. The sounds could be heard as a ringing, chirping, whooshing, whistling or other annoying sound that are seemingly relentless and described as driving a person ‘crazy.’
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, tinnitus could be caused by a treatable problem like excessive ear wax or allergies; however if all avenues have been explored, a consultant with an audiologist to possibly be fitted for a digital hearing aid would be a good idea.
This may sound unusual but as said by many hearing doctors, when the brain is deprived of sound input from the ears, it may compensate by creating its own sound in the form of a whistling, ringing or other usually high pitch tone. This is a side effect of the hearing loss so treatment with a hearing aid could be all that’s needed to make the annoying sounds disappear.
Some hearing doctors feel that other devices, including ones that create sounds or music to mask the tinnitus and retrain the brain, could also be used, sometimes with or without a conventional hearing aid. Some people find relief by playing soft music in the background or using a noise machine to create soothing sounds. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, vitamins and relaxation techniques are all being studied as possible cures for this bothersome condition.
Other doctors feel that this condition may be caused by one’s environment, if they work in or around loud noises or attend several loud concerts per year. Sometimes, this unusual yet very real condition fades with time and one day it will be gone just as mysteriously as it appeared.

