A Couple of Tips on Optimizing Hearing Aids for Tinnitus

I went to the hearing aid specialist the other day and he programmed hearing aids for me. However, he had a new piece of equipment this time which had wires with little microphones on them. He put them in my ear to measure the true amplification that my hearing aids were giving instead of only relying on what they were programmed for.

He said that on many hearing aids, what the amplification was programmed for and what the amplification actually was were two different things. He actually had to amplify the hearing aids more and finally was able to get my correct "prescription". There was a definite noticeable difference. I would suggest you all ask your hearing aid programmer to try it.

Secondly, have a program on your aids where the "noise reduction" feature is turned OFF. As someone with tinnitus, a little background noise might help "mask" some of the tinnitus.

Finally, be sure to get your hearing aids cleaned once in a while. You can do some of it yourself with the tools they give you for it but it's also good to have the specialist take them apart and clean them. Remember, too much oil, dirt, and dust on your microphones can muffle the sound.

 

I just changed my hearing aid filter (tip) which apparently was clogged. They're like new.