Hearing Loss Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

[devonlee]

So I had my hearing assessment done yesterday which concluded mild hearing loss, equal in both ears. I have a few questions/ topics I'm wondering more about.
I have all three: hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis. I have high pitched, continuous tinnitus that ranges in volume but is always there. I don't have pain associated with the hyperacusis, I just find that I'm very sensitive to especially high pitched sounds as well as things like my boyfriend watching the hockey game too loud.

I'm wondering if I should be trying to figure out WHY I have hearing loss. There isn't any loud noise exposure, physical damage, or genetic history of hearing loss. My audiologist basically said she doesn't know either but said I qualify for hearing aids whenever I feel that I need them.

With regards to hearing aids, I'm wondering if they work like glasses would. So if you're told you have a mild vision impairment, you get glasses to assist your eyes to hopefully prevent the vision from getting worse. Should I look in to hearing aids now or should I wait until I feel that I actually need them ie. I'm not functioning or hearing normal conversations.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Aaron123]

It would be helpful to see your audiogram - or at least to get an idea of the degree of hearing loss and where it is. It also might be useful to see an ENT or more specifically an otologist to get an opinion about possible causes of your hearing loss. An audiologist isn't going to be able to look for medical reasons for your hearing loss. Most likely the doc won't have a definitive answer (or solution), but it doesn't hurt to check.

 

[devonlee]

So there is a scale of some sort that she marks when I heard the tones and normal is 0-30 or something like that and I was in the 40's. I believe the scale goes up to 120 which would be deaf or nearly deaf.
@Aaron123

 

[GregCA]

Do you have an air-bone gap? (conductive losses)

 

[devonlee]

It kind of just dawned on me that the 0-120 is probably decibels. @Aaron123

I don't know @GregCA

 

[Aaron123]

It would be helpful to know the answers to these questions. HL in the 40s does make you a candidate for a HA though the necessity may depend on which frequencies. If it were 45dB in the speech frequencies, I would have thought you would have been aware of it.

Knowing if you have conductive loss is useful since that is a situation that could possibly be addressed medically.

I would see if you can get a copy of the results and see about an appointment with a specialist just to check for causes. 40+ dB is a little surprising absent noise exposure or other causes.

After that, you could always try a HA and see how you like it. In the US, they allow for a trial period - not sure how things work in Canada. It won't preserve things the way glasses might, but there is concern about people with HL withdrawing from social situations and that *may* have negative effects on cognition later in life.

 

[devonlee]

I didn't have any issues with word recognition. I only had issues with the high pitched frequencies I believe. In my day to day life I don't have too many issues hearing people so I don't feel that I need hearing aids at this point.

I'm going to ask my GP to refer me to an ENT regardless. I'd like to explore causes for my hearing loss.
@Aaron123

 

[Sam Bridge]

If a normal conversation is around 50-60db i guess thats why you don't have trouble understanding.

 

[Cal18]

I also have hearing loss which I believe I've had for a while. It's mid level and they said it looks hereditary. My T came on in a crazy sudden way after a sensitivity to an antidepressant. I have ear pain, H and pressure fluctuations - it's been quite violent and gets very loud. Is it possible to have T not related to hearing loss even if you have hearing loss?

 

[devonlee]

@Cal18 im sure it's possible.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@devonlee

I don't think there is any point in trying to figure out why you have hearing loss. Follow the advice from your Audiologist. I feel you should wear hearing aids if your Audiologist advises this. If a person has hearing loss and tinnitus is present, the tinnitus often improves once hearing aid/s is fitted. The hyperacusis should improve with time too. Hearing aids which include built in whit noise generators are available and you might want to pursue this. Have a word with your Audiologist.
Best of luck
Michael

 

[GregCA]

I don't know @GregCA

If feel comfortable posting your audiogram, it may be helpful.

 

[Cal18]

@devonlee I have no idea why I have hearing loss either, they said it's hereditary but my mother has perfect hearing - maybe from my father's side? If your audiogram matches "cookie bite" hearing loss (look it up), that's an indication it may be hereditary. And just like you told me, yours may or may not be linked to your hearing loss. I'm feeling confident now, that if tinnitus wasn't sudden after following a loud noise, there's a good possibility it might not be linked to hearing loss. You never know.

Oh, forgot to mention, if it's hearing loss related, shouldn't the T match up with the frequency?

 

[devonlee]

@Michael Leigh Thank you for your advice. The audiologist didn't exactly advise that I wear the hearing aids. She just said that I would qualify for them when I felt that I needed them. My boyfriend has a co-worker who says that hearing aids really helped his tinnitus but he has very poor hearing related to kidney disease. I feel that mine isn't that bad but maybe I'm in a bit of denial lol. Does everyone start yelling at you as soon as they see you wearing hearing aids? (Stupid question maybe)

 

[Michael Leigh]

Does everyone start yelling at you as soon as they see you wearing hearing aids?

@devonlee The answer no they don't. I know how it can make a person feel. I don't have any hearing loss but I did wear white noise generators for two years as part of TRT. As you probably know, BTE (Behind The Ear white noise generators look very similar to hearing aids and I was issued with these. However, I wouldn't wear them outside my home as I felt conscious that when talking to people, they would think I'm hard of hearing and start shouting at me. Therefore, I bought two in-ear white noise generators. They were bullet shaped, small and discreet and felt much more confident wearing them when not at home.

It all depends what has caused your tinnitus, because hearing loss can cause it. If the brain cannot hear certain frequencies it tries to compensate by turning up it's internal gain (volume) and this can produce tinnitus. A hearing aid/s will supply the brain with the frequencies or additional volume from the outside world; over time it will turn down it's internal gain which will lower the tinnitus.
All the best
Michael

 

[devonlee]

@Michael Leigh It sounds like a lot of places will give me trial hearing aids so I may try that to see if it helps with the tinnitus. My tinnitus is not very loud and generally doesn't bother me too much but a lot of things are adding up.
My tinnitus is worse when I'm tired, likely when my ears are tired from over compensating for an entire day of impaired hearing. Also, of course, the more noise I'm surrounded by, the louder my tinnitus is when the noise is taken away. I don't know if I would like a white noise generator. I have never been a fan of anything that makes white noise. But I'm going to call the audiologist today and see about trialing some hearing aids.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Leigh]

@devonlee I think a hearing aid/s is the way forward for you. Like white noise generators, they will take time to get used to. Some people that try white noise generators (and hearing aids) expect to get used to them straightaway but it doesn't normally work like that.

Anything new that we bring into our life takes time to get used to. In the case of white noise generators, I normally advise to wear them for 2hrs then 2hrs off. Slowly building up the wearing time over a few weeks until 8 to 10hrs is reached. White noise should be set to slightly lower than the tinnitus, it shouldn't mask it or cover it up so the tinnitus can't be heard. Unless the brain can hear the tinnitus, it will be unable to habituate to it.

Someone I am helping at the moment is using a hearing aid, and was told by her Audiologist to put it on and wear it for 8hrs straight. This person couldn't manage that. The increased volume supplied to the ear and brain from the outside world was too much. When she tried my suggestion it was a lot easier to manage.

Best of luck
Michael