Cochlear Implants as a Treatment of Tinnitus

For me, it was informative to do because it gave me my cause of tinnitus. My case is my own and was able to be determined, but I can see how it could get convoluted given your point above with losing those frequencies earlier/first. Many want to know their cause so they know what could possibly help/not help at all and just for closure. I hate that it was this (SSHL), I wish it wasn’t, but at least I know.

I wouldn’t benefit from these devices that provide frequency amplification, but maybe I could benefit from like the currently trialed Mayo Clinic’s tinnitus device that just uses electrical impulses to the cochlea.

 

Would losing the ability to hear high frequency noises mitigate one's tinnitus? It might leave it the same or make it worse, or seem to be worse, because you would be losing some of the ability to mask the tinnitus w/ white or pink noises.

I haven't looked at the studies for cochlear implants for 10 or 15 years. At that time, the results seemed to be mixed. I'm 71, have had tinnitus for around two decades, and still have excellent hearing, although it seems I've lost some at the higher frequencies. What's odd is that even when my tinnitus amps up I still have excellent hearing over it.

What I'm getting at is that we all have tinnitus here, but one person's experience may be completely different than someone else's experience. I would look at all the options and read every study that I could find before considering something as drastic (to me) as a cochlear implant. The link below goes to the downsides that might occur w/ a cochlear implant, and they are no joke.

FDA: Benefits and Risks of Cochlear Implants

 

@ErikaS, I think it's natural to want to know. The issue is outside of that 8,000 Hz frequency, we don't (yet) have any treatments so, from an audiology point of view, it's not worth testing. Hearing aids and cochlear implants generally go up to 8,000 Hz. Then unless you have an extended audiogram from years ago, you won't know if you recently lost hearing and that's the cause. Does anyone over age 30 hear 250 Hz - 20,000 Hz? Yet most have lost hearing but have no tinnitus.

 

I agree it’s not worth testing in regards to hearing aids and cochlear implants. But in regards to SSNHL, which I believe is classified as hearing loss over three consecutive frequencies, then an extended audiogram could be given to see if treatment should be administered the same way it would if SSNHL occurred within the normal 8 kHz range.

I understand this would be difficult, like you said, because most people over age 30 have hearing loss in those frequencies anyway, so unless there was a recent audiogram done beforehand, it would be hard to tell if it was sudden hearing loss or gradual.

 

Did you get the cochlear implant for hearing loss or tinnitus, or both? Did you have hyperacusis? Are you glad you got the implant?

 

@Piney, I don't know if you're still around to answer the above. A person with experience is best!

 

What are the risks of a cochlear implant? It permanently destroys your normal hearing, so you can't remove the implant and go back to your earlier hearing? Can the surgery fail and you are left with awful tinnitus and being deaf?

 

@chadders, basically yes, it can destroy residual hearing. It's rare for it to fail i.e. not provide hearing. Worsening or new tinnitus is seen in about 5-10%.

 

My tinnitus was doing well with CROS hearing aids, but I couldn’t hear over my tinnitus with my good ear. I have no hyperacusis except for a couple times at night.

Yes, I occasionally take the implant off for a day and it’s too much; I have to put it back on.