Hearing aids

[sun_1234]

I received my hearing aids yesterday. I tried 10 minutes first day but after 10 minutes when take it off i feel my tinnitus gets too loud. all night was too loud.i’m scared to use it. any advice please.

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

Hi Sun

I think you have the answer to your question - your tinnitus is louder when you take off your hearing aids, because the device which is helping your hearing isn't being worn. Audiologists will advise you to build up the time that you wear your hearing aids each day, a little bit more every time. That's how you'll get used to what they can do for you and how they can help you with your tinnitus.

I'm sure other folks in the community can offer their own perspectives on this.

[sun_1234 in reply to TinnitusUKPat]

thank you BTAPat. but if it’s get too loud in night time how shall i cope with. night time is more difficult then day time.

[Hylda2 in reply to sun_1234]

do your hearing aids have the ability to play soft noise to counter the tinnitus

[sun_1234 in reply to Hylda2]

No Hylda2 .

[Hylda2 in reply to sun_1234]

that’s a shame. I come under tinnitus clinic and have just been given new hearing aids to belp

[TinnitusUKPat Partner in reply to sun_1234]

This is where sound therapy can help - to help you adjust to being more aware of your tinnitus when you're not wearing hearing aids. As Rosie suggests below, I think you would benefit from posing some of the queries that you have to audiologists who can advise on your individual circumstances and provide reassurance to you.

[Happyrosie]

sun, please follow the advice that the audiologists have given you and persevere with them. You’ll get used to,the change in perception of the tinnitus.

[Suz_2]

do u have sound sensitivity ( Hyperacusus ) as well - I do and this makes using the hearing aids more difficult

[sun_1234 in reply to Suz_2]

Not all the time Suz26 . sometimes I feel sounds sensitivity. Yesterday night add some new sound. it’s really loud and I feel anxious sometimes. Unbearable sounds 😭. I don’t know what to do. I tried so many things but nothings going to help.

[Hylda2 in reply to sun_1234]

could you play a radio beside your bed softly. Friend always fell asleep to the world service x

[RobWG in reply to sun_1234]

I use spotify on my phone when I go to bed. I have a playlist of sounds I know work for me. I set the sleep timer to turn if off.

I have it set at a low volume which seems to help me get off to sleep.

[CalleLaurel in reply to Suz_2]

Hi Suz26, I too suffer with Hyperacusis which sometimes is worse than the tinnitus, due to this hearing aids do not help at all unfortunately. Makes it difficult as it is everyday noises, running taps, hoovering, road noise etc.

[Riverdale2021]

Hi

I have had tinnitus for 15 years and also a hearing loss and hearing aids.

Personally I have found my hearing aids a huge help in reducing my tinnitus noise.

I was told by my audiologist to introduce the aids slowly as the brain needs to adjust.

My advice would be to take it slowly introducing the aids over a period of and you should benefit hugely.

Good luck

[Graham-E]

Hello,

Sorry that you are experiencing such difficulties. I was like this to start with, couldn’t stand them physically in my ears and emotionally. My perception of how others viewed me wearing them.

The physical part is much easier now. Eventually I had to wear them full time.

Really I had no choice as for me they reduce my 100% T to about 80-90%.

I will happily take that 10% reduction in T over the feeling of wearing them.

Mine are from the NHS and have the Bluetooth and ability to play a fixed sound, like the sea/waves. Wish I could change that for say the sound of rain.

At night I have an Oasis sound machine connected to my pillow with small speakers inside it. These two cover me most of the time.

I had to build up but increasingly the time slowly but as others have said follow the audiologist advice.

These days I wear mine for 100% of the time all day long the physical part is easy now I have to feel with my hand to know that I have them in I still have problems with the emotional side. To me wearing them seems to be the problem in my mind of how others perceive me. If I can get over the emotional side I know that it’s okay to wear HAs as it is to wear glasses when I would be totally fine.

All the very best Graham

[Hylda2 in reply to Graham-E]

I have the same aids as you. There is an app called Starkey Relax with rain etc Which you can play through the aids

Di

[Harveymum]

Hi Sun,

I got my hearing aids a month or so ago. I agree when you take them out it does seem louder. I was told it's because your brain is looking for sound again. I wear mine all day. My lovely audiologist gave me a unit to put beside my bedside that plays the sound of waves or wind or birdsong.

If your audiology department has a tinnitus clinic then push to go there. I was sent to ENT first and the audiologist said hearing aids from Specsavers would be fine. However, I asked to be referred to the tinnitus clinic who were able to provide me with hearing aids that have an integral white noise app. I work in a very quiet environment and they are invaluable for the distraction. Good luck

[sun_1234 in reply to Harveymum]

Thank you Harveymum.. ENT already referred me to tinnitus clinic. I’m waiting for the appointment. thank you everyone.

[Katejo1963]

I paid for a private ENT appointment in Harley St yesterday due to waiting ages for an NHS referral. The consultant arranged a hearing assessment and then confirmed that my hearing loss (with tinnitus) in my left ear was permanent and I may need a hearing aid. However, he said that I would still need to wait for a hospital ENT appt before I could be assessed for a hearing aid (unless his report is accepted). Is it worth me contacting a tinnitus clinic to try and bypass this?

[lesley2015]

Hi

I have had blateral tinnitus for about 4/5 years. I wear hearing aids (NHS) with the addition of white noise when needed. When I take them out at night, my hearing is dulled and my tinnitus is louder. With the hearing aids in, the hearing being louder stops the brain focusing on the tinnitus.

I use a little white noise machine beside my bed at night (Personal favourite a trickling stream), I focus on this and have it on all night, whenever I wake in the night I just focus on the noice of the stream to distract me - it takes practice and also acceptance of the tinnitus, if you get upset or frustrated it seems to appear even louder - in my opinion anyway.

Things do trigger my tinnitus to be louder, some things I have learnt to avoid, but some can be surprising loud cracks or noises etc. The James Bond film in the cinema made the tinnitus awful for about 4 days! Note to self to avoid that situaiton.

Good luck - you will surprise yourself eventually that you can adapt.

[Hidden]

Hi sun_1234 I was the same with hearing aids at first. Takes a while to adjust. I remember wanting to take my hearing aid out all the time, now I rarely forget to wear it. I'm sure it will help you longer term, just takes time. When I first got my hearing aid, everything sounded loud and I even jumped at the noise of the toilet flushing! As you say, the tinnitus seemed louder on removing hearing aids, but it settles down.

lesley2015 I'm the same - the James Bond film was very loud! A relative wanted to go to an Andre Rieu concert recently where everyone sings along - but sadly that would be too loud for me and it is frustrating because it looked like good fun! I recently enjoyed the new Top Gun movie and went to a more pricey cinema with less people around which I prefer. A lot of social navigation and planning required with the T!

Take care all 💐 xx

[sun_1234 in reply to Hidden]

thank you Fuzzy. I’m trying.

[MaryDandy2 in reply to Hidden]

I've got acoustic earplugs to wear at louder events like films and concerts, seems to work and I don't have more tinnitus after the event. Got them from Amazon!

[Hidden in reply to MaryDandy2]

Good idea 👍

[Acure22]

When I first tried hearing aids I experienced the same effect as you, and it is a shock when you take them off- It’s like leaving a night club or cinema , where the noise level is very high and coming out into the relativite quiet of the street. And yes, you hear your tinnitus again and perceived as “loud” -but in my case, it’s not louder, just more noticeable for a while.

It’s possible to get a hearing aid with a masker.

Hope this helps!

All the best

[Jasons1969]

I’m not sure it is making it louder after removal. Probably as the hearing aid has lessened the volume for the period you used it, once removing the aid the noise returning might have seemed louder due to its reduced in volume just prior to its removal. I would suggest giving it a fair chance and much longer than that which you state. Probably half an hour to begin with. I can say that it is highly unlikely that the aid will completely take your Tinnitus away completely even in time , or even lessen the volume to your expectations. I assumed it would but it never happened. Good for improving your hearing quality in either a single ear or both. Give it a chance slowly increasing the length of time you wear it. Good luck.