Is tinnitus seen as having hearing loss.

[Tinkerchat]

Hi,

I wanted to ask if anyone in the forum uses hearing aids for Tinnitus, or bilateral tinnitus.

And would using such hearing aids be classed as an aid like as if someone has hearing loss.

Thanks

[doglover1973]

Not necessarily no. If you have hearing loss you may have T - as a result of the hearing loss - but it's possible to have T without hearing loss too. The best thing to do is have a hearing test. If you have hearing loss you will benefit from wearing HAs . If you don't you won't. I hope that answers the question 🙂

[Tinkerchat in reply to doglover1973]

Hi Doglover,

Thanks for your reply. I have seen an audiologist and they confirmed that i do have some hearing loss at a certain higher frequency range on the audio spectrum, and they also confirmed I have bilateral tinnitus. They have now recommended that i would benefit with the use of 2 Haids which will help me with verbal communication ie the amplification of the hearing aids would help me to listen more clearly, thus also masking the tinnitus sounds. And the pink white noise programs in the Haids will also help mask them out too.

[doglover1973 in reply to Tinkerchat]

Nice work Tinkerchat It sounds as if you're well on the way to managing your hearing loss and tinnitus. The HAs will help - as you say - to hear more clearly and so make the T less noticeable. All the best with your fitting. Let us know how you get on.

[lillian0999 in reply to doglover1973]

I after having T for a number of years , alast am getting some releaf , by wearing earing aids , my left ear is dull , the aids have helped to lift the sounds around me , but i must say it blocks the T to a certain level . I would say to anyone have a hearing test janet

[Roolin]

I have seen an Audiologist who confirmed that I have hearing loss in the high frequency range which is worse on the right and less so on the left. She prescribed hearing aids bilaterally with a masker and I find that it has lowered the intensity of the tinnitus and helped with my concentration. The amplification has improved my hearing and in turn my focus towards sounds I wasn’t hearing well.

[HissingSid]

I’ve had tinnitus since 2011 and I now wear 2 hearing aids fitted with masking sounds (pink noise). When I was first diagnosed with tinnitus in 2011 my hearing loss was minor and I was given a single hearing aid. Around 4 years later I was given another hearing test and again my hearing loss was minor although slightly worse than 2011. As my tinnitus was becoming louder I asked for the hearing aids for both ears and was given options of sounds fitted in them. I found pink noise better. I’ve not had any further hearing tests since 2015 but my hearing is reasonably fine.

[woodman72 in reply to HissingSid]

So did the HA with pink noise reduce your T ? When you take them out, does your T go back to the level it was before ?

[HissingSid in reply to woodman72]

The pink noise is more a distraction to my tinnitus rather than silencing it. As I’m not allowed to wear my hearing aids in bed then yes my tinnitus sounds are heard as loud as before. There is no easy way out with tinnitus so we have to cope as best as we can.