How to Cope with Tinnitus After High-Frequency Hearing Loss?

[Sydnears]

I have been told that tinnitus associated with hearing loss is permanent.

I have bilateral high-frequency hearing loss and associated tinnitus. It has been 10 weeks now.

I am just looking for success stories from people who have hearing loss and have managed to habituate to their tinnitus to the point where it no longer affects their daily life in a negative way. I still have good hearing up to the mid frequencies, with moderate to severe loss at the higher frequencies.

I suppose I am just looking for some hope that things might improve. I am feeling very down at the moment. Thank you.

 

[SueX]

Hiya, I have high-frequency hearing loss. It is only mild, and I also have some brain issues, so at first I assumed my pulsatile tinnitus was caused only by those neurological problems. However, I went to see an excellent audiologist who very patiently explained that even if the brain issues are contributing to the tinnitus, the hearing loss is likely playing a role as well. The brain tries to compensate for the missing frequencies, which can also trigger or worsen tinnitus.

I followed her recommendation to try hearing aids, which serve two purposes: first, they provide slight amplification to help with the mild high-frequency hearing loss, and second, they generate background sound to partially mask the tinnitus.

They were expensive, and making the decision was difficult. At first, they hurt my ears and I wanted to throw them in the bin. But now, several weeks in, just as she predicted, the tinnitus has not disappeared, but my brain is hearing a richer sound environment and is less focused on the tinnitus.

It is not the most affordable solution by any means, but after going through about a dozen scans and seeing many different clinicians, I was desperate to try anything and everything possible.