Hearing aids making it worse?

[Mrshanson]

Morning all. Question for all you hearing aid users : is it possible they're making tinnitus worse? I'm wearing mine for probably 16 hours a day because my hearings terrible without them and they help the tinnitus so much.

Only problem is when I take them out my T is horrendous overnight and first thing in the morning, it used to calm down overnight and was at its quietest 1st thing.

I know there are things I can do to mask it overnight but I'm really worried I'm somehow making it worse by wearing my hearing aids so much, or have I just gone soft and lost my tolerance for it?-Bev x

[Hidden]

Hi Bev,

It can be hard when your hearing aids come out as the tinnitus will sound louder when been masked all day.

I would play about a bit and try reducing your hearing aids in late evening to the mixing point where you can here your tinnitus but still hear ok with your hearing aids and see if that helps a little introducing your tinnitus sound before your hearing aids come out Lots of love glynis

[Mrshanson in reply to Hidden]

Hi Glynis, can't alter my hearing aids at all, they're self adjusting apparently, all I can do is switch them on and off! Thank you though, maybe taking them out earlier would help?

The funny thing is the tinnitus stays quiet for a few minutes when I take them out, sometimes long enough to get to sleep, but it ramps up overnight and is awful in the morning -Bev x

[Hidden]

I'm wearing my two more nowadays, and my tinnitus is so loud anyway, I haven't noticed it's worse when they come out. It's just.... LOUD!!!

[Mrshanson in reply to Hidden]

Hi there, sorry yours is so LOUD!! slipware. It's good to have something that helps a bit though?

I'm so grateful for my hearing aids and would expect the T to be louder when I take them out but it seems to ramp up even further overnight which I find worrying.

Maybe I've just lost my tolerance to it since getting the aids? Who knows-Bev x

[Angela-H]

Hi Bev, as you are finding out, T has a mind of its own. I have had it for just over 2 years. I have a hearing aid for slight loss right ear + masker, and a masker for left ear. I hear the T when I awake - no more snoozes for me - and put in aids asap. That quietens it and it usually remains that way all day. Come bedtime, with the sound oasis always on rainfall all night, if I can get to sleep straight away then there's obviously no problem. But, if I can't sleep then the T becomes bothersome.

This is after 2 years of my ears having been trained! When I was at your stage of T, as soon as I took out my aids at bedtime my T was very loud and I felt as though a laser pen was piercing my right temple. So, it would seem that time heals. Glynis's advice seems logical and I am going to turn down my aids a couple of hours before bedtime so that my ears/brain can gently get used to it. You seem to be doing well. Best wishes and love, Angela xx

[Mrshanson in reply to Angela-H]

Thanks Angela, just had another awful night, can't seem to mask it with sound when it's really bad, it seems to ramp up to compete. And it's terrible 1st thing in the morning so no idling in bed for me (chance would be a fine thing with 2 kids!) it's hearing aids in and straight up for me.

Just hoping in time it will settle down like you say, the constant ups and downs are exhausting - Bev x

[Angela-H in reply to Mrshanson]

Oh dear Bev, sorry about that. It will become more bearable and quieter. My first 12 months were awful and I can say that 2015 was the year I did nothing but stay at home. I missed my son's graduation ceremony! In 2016 life started to become as normal as it could hope to be.

Horrible rain in Shropshire- was going to clean the car. Now have to find something to keep my brain distracted indoors!

Look at your children and count your blessings - that's what I do even though they're grownup! Angela xx

[Dougrc]

Bev, I don't believe your hearing aids can make your tinnitus worse, they will only effect how your mind perceives it. May I suggest you read up on "mindfulness" and try applying those techniques in regards to sleep. Here is a link that might be a good start. drjennifergans.com/tinnitus...

[Mrshanson in reply to Dougrc]

Thanks for that I'll look into it -Bev x

[fjachetta in reply to Dougrc]

Did mindfulness work? I tried hearing aids and as set off my tinnitus so badly. I had a friend try it and it improved his life dramatically. That is why I did, with devastating results. I experienced no relief while using them either. I'm still in a much worse state than before.

[Anna001 in reply to Dougrc]

I have a hearing aid and I think it is making mine worst could it be because the volume I have had it at all different volume .

[Julia1jasper]

Hi there. I now reluctantly use my hearing aids mainly for watching TV n cinema n using phone but rarely use all day. Sometimes not at all depending what am doing. I’ve had very loud tinnitus as far as remember and now have discovered hearing loss was prob from birth so makes sense. Even tho can hear most things using them the tinnitus acts like it’s competing and gets even louder whilst using aids and then feels like I’ve gone totally deaf when take them out as seems to mask external sound completely. After a few hours it goes back to normal but have often wondered if using aids will make it worse and why I reluctantly use them too much. For sure hearing aid have enhanced life as can enjoy more social life to the full but still concerns me why the T gets so much louder and wether it will permanently increase in volume.

Don’t know if anyone else experiences this but be interesting to know. I don’t have aids on full and often turn down so for sure it’s not loud noise that’s causing this to happen. Be interested if got views on it. Thanks

Julia 😸🐈😻🐾🐾