Hearing Aids

If you fall into TRT Category 2, then it is advisable to do TRT with hearing aids. For TRT Categories 0, 1, 3, and 4 hearing aids are not needed.

This determination should be made by your TRT clinician.

Dr. Stephen Nagler

 

Hi Ron, go back in this post, some girl mentioned that the first days you wear H.A tinnitus gets worse, but then it goes down again. Regards

 

First off... HELLO PEOPLE! I have not been around for a while but I'm back! (New job, less free time.)

I have no hearing loss at all according to the audiogram I had in Feb, but my tinnitus recently spiked after several months where I had habituated, and seeing as my insurance covers a percentage of an aid, I thought I would look into it.

The person I saw first started talking about neuromodulation, which I am pretty sure wouldn't work with me because I have multi-tone, reactive tinnitus, but then he went on to order me a pair of Verso 9s to try out. My questions:

1. Does this seem like overkill?
2: Is it normal for someone to order high-end devices to allow you to test what may possibly work while giving you the ability to "downsize" if you've been over-sold?

Since I've never tried hearing amplification for my tinnitus (I mean, maybe I'm missing my upper range? But I doubt it since I hear at under 15db) I am willing to try, but I'm not sure if this is a normal thing.

Thank you

 

Hearing loss is great for masking tinnitus. (See, for example, this thread.) Of course, it depends where the loss is located, but many people with hearing loss notice that the hearing aids--by amplifying background noise--will reduce their tinnitus noise. So the amplification is another layer to help with your noise.

You should try the Starkey Xino for a thirty day trial. I'm sure you'll be offered several models with different price points (expensive and more expensive!). Usually, the price differences pertain to how many sound settings the hearing aids offer. Mine offered three different customized noises that were also controllable by volume. I think you need at least this amount. If your tinnitus is like mine, it varies from day-t0-day. When I wore the hearing aids, I would match the sound and set the volume to the mixing level (the place where you are able to detect your tinnitus, but it also blends in with your background sounds.) Many times, I only used the first or second setting. But when I was screaming loud, I appreciated having the third setting that basically blended with my tinnitus so I no longer heard it.

If you do decide to try them, be aware it is common for the tinnitus to get louder for several days or a week. But the increase is only temporary and caused by your brain's response to the amplification. Tinnitus brains are temperamental! Upon a temporary increase in their noise, some people will become fearful and return the hearing aids. This is wrong, however, since the hearing aids cannot--to my knowledge--damage your ears or permanently increase your noise.

Below is an excellent article about tinnitus and hearing aids. The author talks about Widex Zen and is a consultant for the company. Personally, I tried Widex for a few weeks, then I tried Starkey and felt that latter offered better results. Like noted above, it is probably best to find a hearing aid that best matches your primary sound (noise or tonal). Of course, many people love Widex Zen because of its chimes. (Didn't you try Widex Zen once? Or perhaps you were only considering it.)

http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/integrated-approach-to-tinnitus-management-11598​

Please also note I am now taking NAC, 600 mg, 2x a day. I believe this supplement has reduced my noise as much or more than the hearing aids. (But I still don't regret wearing the hearing aids. They definitely helped my mood and progress.) Since I don't know about the long term effects of NAC, I plan on weaning myself off the supplement in a few months. To date, I've been on NAC almost two months.

Let us know what you decide and good luck! Too bad there is no one answer for tinnitus. It is all trial and error.

 

Hello

I don't want to repeat what has been said. I have not read this entire thread. I just wanted to share my experience with Audible tinnitus hearing aids. I do not have any affiliation with starkey or audibel.

I went through a free trial of the Audibel tinnitus hearing aids. My hearing professional ask me to try them. Audibel send a representative to his office to program them to my particular hearing loss (4k) and ringing. The hearing aids produce a tone that "fits" them to your ear canal. The rep dialed in my hearing loss profile and and then said "OK, I'm turning them on".

I heard a slight hiss but after 20 seconds, the hiss was gone. So was the ringing.

Audibel uses a very soft hiss (white noise?) that your brain tunes out after less than a minute. I told her "The hiss is gone" and she said how do they sound. I have to say, I had not had that quiet feeling for 6 months. I went into this trial not really caring to spend 5 grand and I had gone through all the anxiety, crying, and depression, and I was "moving on" with much success (and ringing). These things were a breath of fresh air.

I wear them 24 hours a day. I don't even think about the T. I found this forum and actually have not participated because it actually brought me down just being reminded I had T. I've now revisited just to give you my account of what I've experienced with hearing aids.

By the way, the key to Audible's concept is to produce the noise canceling tone (which you can't hear) and amplify your hearing at the frequency of the loss. My left ear is fine, but the rep added just a slight bit of amplification to again contract the T in the right ear.

I love these things. 24 hours a day requires you to learn how to clean both your ears and the devices. When I say clean, I mean taking them apart to clean internal microphone filters and air grids (the aids, not my ears . I also clean and replace the wax guards every 3-4 days. Batteries last about 2 1/2 days. Batteries are cheap on Amazon (60 / $23) If you wear these 24 hours a day, you have to keep them clean. All of this has just become routine. Takes me 5 minute every 6-7 days on the cleaning of the device. My ears? I wash my ears daily in the shower and remove all wax that can clog the aids.

I have to say, I'm glad I tried this. I know a lot of you have suffered under this uncontrollable event that has happened to you and it can change your life. Mine life has returned to normal.

Recently my internal microphones became clogged. I had to send them back to audible. My hearing professional sent them fedex overnight and they came back 4 days later. How did I do? Very well. The ringing was back, annoying, but not as bad as before and of course, only temporary as the aids came back (they sent brand new ones - no charge). I know they are costly for some. Most hearing professionals have payment plans. Hearing aids have a life of about 8 years. That to me is a worthwhile time for the money and how it has brought normalcy to my life again. On top of that, I can hear much better! Ask my wife!

Go for the free trial. Costs nothing to try. Not even a charge for the office visit. If it works for you, you can work out the finances later.

 

If one of the causes on tinnitus is because of hearing loss, why wouldn't using hearing aids get rid of the tinnitus? It would seems that the auditory system would "think" it got the signal back and would stop sending the false signals?

 

That is actually one of the ways that hearing aids helps tinnitus with people who have loss. For people like me, with no loss, it wasn't a solution, but my hearing aids are still extremely effective, useful maskers. I still hear the hiss (unlike the previous poster) but I often tune it out, just as you would with white noise otherwise (the benefit being that I notice aids less than I would headphones).

 

Hearing aids can help people with hear loss by amplifying the sounds around the T making it blend in a bit I guess you can say. Some have good luck with the T masking feature in newer aids but some don't. I have older hearing aids and for me they do certainly help, but then I've habituated my T for the last 20 years. Just remember tinnitus is a symptom of some other root cause/ disease and you can't cure something by treating the symptoms of it. Many of us are forced with dealing with this symptom most of our lives if medical science can't reverse the damage or cure the root cause. There can be many different causes so what works for some doesn't work for others.

 

I've posted on my experience with hearing aids before, but another year has gone by so I guess an update is in order.

I have high-frequency hearing loss in both ears and loud, high-pitched tinnitus that is quite severe at times. I've had the tinnitus for about three years now. Two separate MRI's showed nothing wrong. Several audiograms (hearing tests) have shown that my hearing hasn't gotten any worse since my tinnitus started three years ago.

That's the good news. Here's the bad news...

Two years ago, I was prescribed hearing aids by one of the top specialists at UCLA. He thought it might help with my tinnitus. I got a pair of $4000 Oticon behind-the-ear "open fit" hearing aids. Insurance paid $1000 and I paid $3000. According to the audiologist, these are about as good as hearing aids get. While they have helped a great deal with my hearing loss and I don't regret getting them, I'm sorry to say that they've done absolutely nothing for my tinnitus. It's still there, high pitched and squealing away as loud as ever.

 

Not exactly knowing what is going on inside the ear mechanism, my opinion would be that hearing aids may help people with damaged hearing BUT I don't see how they can reverse the damage that cases tinnitus. Apparently, certain frequencies cannot be interpreted correctly be the ear mechanism, and these frequencies amplified, should still be interpreted the same way... So, tinnitus remains, though masking could help.

 

hi guys

this one may interest some of us

http://phys.org/news/2014-12-indiegogo-nanoplug-world-smallest-aid.html

here s there page

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nanoplug-the-world-s-first-invisible-hearing-aid

 

Hearing aids had ruined my life and exacerbated my tinnitus permanently. I'm try to selling it in general chat but with clear clarification about they are useless in tinnitus. It is only business

 

Hearing aids are usually not useless. It all comes down to the underlying cause of your tinnitus. It might help and it might make no difference. And in some cases, like yours, it appearenlty can make it way worse. Since your case is the only one Ive heard this happen, I think this is very rare. Very bad luck.

 

I appreciate it, but i'm not alone:

http://www.audiologyonline.com/ask-the-experts/why-does-amplification-sometimes-exacerbate-11384

http://forum.mytinnitus.de/en/viewtopic.php?id=309

in any case, as you say, I was very unlucky.

I'm tryng to sell it but no one want it.........

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/someone-needs-hearing-aids.7444/

 

Yes, even with no hearing loss (based on hearing test results), my tinnitus is completely eliminated with a hearing aid. It's very strange, I know! The audiologist played around with the controls to reduce the background noise to just above my T. I cried, gave her a big hug and thanked her for giving me my life back. Still, I'm left wondering if this wonderful tool will somehow make my tinnitus worse in the furture. Anyone experience this? On a scale of 1-10 (I'm not sure what the actual scale is), the audiologist brought the background noise down to about a 2. Obviously, my T is mild. I can only hear it when sitting in a quiet room... but it does tend to get very loud if I concentrate on it. If interested, here's a link to the hearing aid I was fitted with: http://www.widexusa.com/en-us/products/hearingaids/mind/

 

@daisyjc Regarding your question about you should also speak to Viking. His hearing aids, and after that, T maskers, unfortunately worsened his T after several months. I suggest you start a conversation with him cause chances are that he may not see your posting. He may give you some advices. But if that happened to him that doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen to you, as there are no two cases alike. I just wanted to say that your concern about a worsening of T in the future is legitimate, as that happened to people. I'm surprised at how you thought about that, I personally wouldn't have thought that's possible, until I spoke with Viking.

 

Dana - Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I will contact him. Thanks again!!

 

@daisyjc Daisy, haven't you noticed? Look above your posting and you'll see Viking commenting on that and also giving some links to some scientific articles regarding this issue.
I hope you won't have the bad luck that Viking had. And you may not, as the behaviours of T, completely depending on it's etiology, are so different from one case to another.

 

I'm currently trialling hearing aids right now.

It's a two-week trial. The hearing aids are programmed to amplify only the high-end frequencies I've lost and they also boast a white-noise masking feature.

I can certainly hear better, but like other posters have previously mentioned, they've done nothing for my tinnitus. The masking feature is quite useful but at the moment it's a bit of a Catch-22, since the audiologist tuned it slightly too high for my tinnitus, so that when I take off the hearing aids my ears are screaming.

I'd be happy to go down the hearing aid route but my major concern is that the audiologist who recommended it also swears by Neuromonics. "Neuromonics is the only thing that is going to relieve your symptoms," was what she said.

I didn't bother to ask about the cost of these particular hearing aids because I wanted to see if they were effective before I made any emotional response one way or the other. I know they're top-of-the-line ones though - they probably retail for about $AU 8,000.

I'll see how I feel at the end of the fortnight. Right now, I'd give practically anything to help my tinnitus symptoms abate.

 

I have had hearing aids for about a year now. They supply the high frequencies capability as well as masking sounds. They are not perfect but they have reduced the Tinnitus levels. The hardest part for me is the wax build up the small opening in the hearing aid. I have to constantly clean them.

 

hearing aids can fix hearing with perfect results if hearing conduction problem exist (outer or middle ear problem).
If sensorineural problem exist hearing aids will do more damage to hearing and not cure T.
Hearing aids make a constant acoustic trauma.

 

im about to look for TRT noise generators, i do have now T for just over a year, am i to late?
Or would it not make a big difference

 

Question to the room. Ive recently explored this route and have perfect hearing .... Ok....well.... Until 4000 hertz where classic noise induced chart spiking down below 55 decibels. Its a very sharp decline. And my tinnitus is definatly the gap. T is v loud. Above conversation level now and can hear always even on loud tube train etc.

Anyway.... Is there no way i can get good, totally invisable IIC aids? Will i always get the effect of hearing my own voice to loud?

I just know i will need them all the time. And at 36 with a very face to face city job..... Unless they are IIC i will just not wear them. OR worse only wear them for tv etc which the audiologist mentioned could be worse (given brain hears lost noise.... THEN removing them etc etc not good for neuro rewiring etc)

If there are good ones which brand? phonak seem to pop up alot? Is that just good marketing

No interest in masker noise just clear amplification of higher noise frequencies. Any advise would be great. Also im seeing Boots private at the moment so if thats bad shout

 

Jesus! That sounds horrible! I'm thankful I have no hearing loss, although I have to admit after using keppra my hearing somewhat improved...Maybe try that? Do you have hyperacusis at all?

When I first used a white noise generator it spiked my tinnitus to new heights, it was after that I decided to use trobalt.

 

Cheers bud. Will try Keppra.
But yeah essentially as soon as frequencies go above 4000 it bombs. So Im guessing hearing aid will help, over time. But expense... so any tips people let me know. (And prefer a hidden one).

Note Danny - how can you not have hearing loss with T? and it is a question not a statement. As I never thought I did years back, but then realised regarding "Zwicker tone" and how essentially my brain is making up for the missing frequency. (vs the noise I hear causing the loss, the hearing loss and void gaps in cochlear forced brain to replace them - helpful..... not)Which I think the more sharp the decline and contrast (between normal hearing low frequency and smashed up damaged high frequency) the harder the T effect is.

As whatever frequency your T is (and noted it can be disease caused, jaw bone etc), but surely whatever volume and frequency it is, if playing that same frequency lower in volume, you wont hear it? My argument being is all T that's tonal, has to have hearing loss... ? (even if hearing loss, unlike mine, is not the cause)

(Zwicker everyone probably knows, but if not, most people, and near 100 % of t sufferers (Note NOISE INDUCED T SUFFERERS I ADD), if you play a broadband noise, take out a frequency, listen to it for a minute. Then stop it, your brain plays back perfectly that missing frequency. Same volume for a few seconds. then drops back in line. AKA some brains being helpful play back the missing frequency... amplify it, whatever word you use, forever.... it however doesn't drop down as still misses it. Same as RI, this time you give brain missing frequency, so Zwicker disappears, when you stop, stays gone for a few seconds, then comes back. Mine is simply noise induced - I cant hear those frequencies, so my brain fills the gap with a constant noise. Hence I only understand noise induced trauma tinnitus and not so much anything else). I would argue if I forced hearing loss to my GOOD hearing frequencies down to 50 decibels, after 48 hours, I would not have tinnitus. I would be more deaf... but brain wouldn't have the sheer difference I have now to make up the GAP in my perfect hearing to 4000 hertz, then almost vertical dive back)

Note aside neruomonics forces Zwicker tone effect to be reduced by forcing brain to swallow the missing frequencies and force it to reduce the gap fill... Hearing aid, + broadband noise + somehow forcing brain to rewire (Vagnus nerve, tounge tip nerve, accupunture? some nerve and brain trauma, major stress point something to trigger plasticity... )

 

Robina I am new to the Forum, my question is? Do you generally find that lightheadiness and Tinnitus seem to go together. I have had this complait (tinnitus) since 1998

 

Does anyone know which frequencies can be amplified with recent hearing aid models? I mean, any progress in the last few years? My t-noise is way above 10k, and I guess so is my loss, so that would be nice to know.

All the best from Berlin,
Daniel

 

Hello Everyone, I'm new to this thread and have just finished reading through the pages as I hope to get my first pair of Hearing aids within the next couple of weeks. These are aids that will also produce a masking tone for my T.
What is great is that I can try them for a couple of weeks and if there is no improvement then I can hand them back and then try another make all with no cost until I find ones that help and I decide to Keep them.

My T started back in February, for no apparent reason, this year with a high pitched tone around 8KHz or higher and has been driving me crazy ever since.

I have been to 2 ENT doctors, had several infusions and courses of tablets, all to no benefit. Now I have a perscription for Hearing aids and visited a local hearing aid Studio near to where I live in Germany.

They gave me a very comprehensive Hearing test and it seems that my Hearing loss is Age related and is in the 6 - 8 Khz range with my right ear slightly worse than my left.
I really am pinning all my hope that these devices are a solution or at least reduce the effect the T is having on my life.

@Fretux - When my T started I downloaded a tone Generator app to my tablet to try and see what the frequency was and I measured it at around 11 KHz so I am hoping that these aids I will be trying can boost my Hearing in this range.

 

Hello my fellow "T" friends,

I read through some of the threads above but did not have time to read them all. I wanted to share my experience with my hearing devices have so far been a positive one. It is true that insurance paid nothing for my very high tech hearing devices they has a built in blending device. I did have extensive testing done by an audiologist who works with patients for tinnitus retraining therapy know as TRT which @Dr Nager on this forum speaks about and also treats some patients with this type of therapy. I do have significant hearing loss in the high frequency range in both ears but mainly the left which is where my T is most prominent, all my other ranges were normal.

I have been wearing the LINX by Resound that syncs perfectlywith my iPhone since Nov 2014 and I do feel a significant relief in my T. I can say it has lessened but not stopped the annoyance but there is no doubt it has helped me deal with the horrific squealing in my ear, mine is mainly in the left ear but as my audiologist explained to me there is no question that if I do not treat both ears the other ear will pick up the sound, the brain does that.

I am wearing the LINX ReSound with blue tooth capability and they were around near 8K dollars. My insurance paid a big fat ZERO. Insurance rarely pays for any hearing devices. It was a difficult choice to sacrifice and invest in them but there is no question it has saved my sanity these past 8 months by giving me relief. It does have great features that allow you to shut out the peripheral noises in a room such as a restaurant where loud crowds use to make me want to leave immediately. I am now able to with-stand a room full of noisy people by switching the setting to turn down peripheral sounds and shift to my immediate surroundings.

The one time I do find that the devices not helpful for me are while I am in driving down the highway the road noise magnifies to a loud high pitch humming and at night I suffer from T, I do not sleep in them.

I do feel that I have severe case of reactive tinnitus and it is therefore more difficult to blend (or match) the sound with any type of masking device. My audiologist has cautioned me on not trying to completely masking my T but to try to set my "white noise" just below it. With TRT training the idea is to allow the brain to still hear the outside stimulus's or sounds and let the blender be a buffer so to speak for the T (my T is high pitched almost like a squealing) and somehow the brain after hearing the buffering for many months will hopefully eventually reprioritize it like the brain has the ability to block out or maybe I should say reprioritize the sound so it can form an association with the T and one day not consider it not important. The occurrence of hybernation (or whatever that word is!!!) can hopefully occur eventually with the brain reprioritizing the T.

I recommend hearing devices and for some I am told that the hearing aide portion alone will significantly reduce the T. I do switch off my blenders while outside bc I feel the outside noise serves as a blender by itself but I keep the hearing aides on so I can hear the amazing birds in the trees much clearer.

I do want to mention and praise @Dr Nagler for his kindness, professional opinions and for giving so graciously of his time to help others. I want to say he is the one person who helped me leap into this TRT training (which involves counseling sessions also) and to take back most of my life. I can't say I have totally accomplished all I want to accomplish but I am going to give myself a pat on the back and thank @Dr Nagler for encouraging me to get help.

I am personally still hoping for a cure. I want my quiet back.