Hearing aids and habituation

[Rossi50]

Hi all. Following on from previous posts I've been told I have some mild/moderate hearing loss. Managing fine but did wonder if hearing aids would help my T but would this not hinder habituation?? Also looking at that tinnisoothe anyone had any experience of wearing such a device and if so how effective it is?? TIA

[Happyrosie]

Many people - I’m included - find that hearing aids do help. For starters it is less of a struggle to hear what’s going on, of course. But it does mean that when the real world is clearer the phantom world created by Mr T retreats a bit.

There’s plenty of information on this on the website of Tinnitus UK.

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Happyrosie]

I’d agree with this. I have one ear with Moderate loss, one with mild. Since a Tinnitus spike in April recently my hearing aids in day time and public make managing Tinnitus a lot easier but magnifying the environmental sound. It’s obvs at night taking them out that’s a bit worse. But I do it gradually now, as in 30mins before sometime to get used to it.

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

Do you think with a spike it can ever go back to baseline? Can a spike last months ??

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Rossi50]

My Spike happened in April, before that I had such mild T I heard nothing only when I went in for my hearing tests. I didn’t even use my aid because I didn’t find out I had hearing loss till I was 40.

it’s 4 months now from my medication induced spike and no it’s not back to base level. It’s definitely reduced but I can still hear ringing 24-7 mine is like a kettle whistle. Getting to sleep is the hardest and if I wake I can’t get back off.

Plus I’m in the mist of MH crisis and if I get high anxiety I find I can’t tolerate the ringing.

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

My understanding spikes can last hours, days, months or be permanent there isn’t a real way of knowing exactly.

Do you watch any Tinnitus videos on youtube ?

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

I've just been watching some that Tinnitus UK sent me. I'm not like I was a few months back at all so not suffering from anxiety but do know I probably think about it far too much checking if it's getting better each day which is probably not helping!

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Rossi50]

Think that’s natural.

I don’t think hearing aids stop habituation. So if you can get them they help. Also, it helps the mind. If you have hearing loss it’s often accompanied by Tinnitus and we are more at risk of Dementia by having hearing loss so it’s a win all round. They give greater cognitive stimulus.

I can’t use a tinnisooth or pillow speaker because my OH hearing is so acute and I’m So deaf it’s all he would hear. HB

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

I wear a sleep mask with nature sounds etc. it's been a life saver. I know many people who wear them without T as well.

[Georgie322 in reply to Rossi50]

How can I find that mask?

[Rossi50 in reply to Georgie322]

It's from snoozeband. I couldn't be without it.

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

Sorry to hear you're in MH crisis currently. I wish I knew the reason for my spike because like you I didn't hear my T at all just a little fuzzy when going to sleep. Now again like you it's like a whistling kettle and 24/7. It's either from losing mum suddenly and delayed reaction or when it started 2 weeks later when I ended up with flu. Who knows! I was told it would probably go back to baseline but thinking probably not now it's lasted this long as I thought spikes wouldn't last this long.

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Rossi50]

To be honest from what I’ve read and I’m no expert I’ve gone to some Tinnitus support groups via Tinnitus Uk and had some counselling. It can be a death (trauma) or flu cause blocked tubes.

Have you called Tinnitus UK ? They are so helpful. Are you coping?

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

I'm coping yes although think I'm 2 steps forward and 3 back which makes me frustrated. Think I'm getting somewhere then think not so much. But I'm back at work. Holding down a pretty responsible job. No masking through the day but do work in a busy office even got a promotion. But when I'm in the office on my own I need the radio on. Everything I've learned has been down to me doing my own research. I've been passed from pillar to post. GPs don't want to know. In the early stages when I thought I may have an ear infection he told me it was all grief I had to go home and steam and think positive. Another go told me sorry nothing can be done. An ENT told me my brain would get used to it but I should see a dentist because he thought I was clenching. Dentist gave me a mouthguard. So all in all I've just had to get on with it. Learn about this myself and try to establish coping mechanisms and tips on habituation.

[Hollygolighly1981 in reply to Rossi50]

Oh just noticed you’re female… are you on HRT ? Tinnitus and hearing loss is Menopausal symptom and some do find HRT helps.

[Rossi50 in reply to Hollygolighly1981]

I've just gone back on hrt. Been off it since late December after a bit of a scare..all good but some symptoms back so just gone back on it in last 2 weeks.

[MAC0811 in reply to Happyrosie]

How do you fair though if you also have Hyperacusis? As what puts me off from getting hearing aids is incase they produce too loud a noise plus you hear about some hearing aids making that awful whistling noise when they are damaged etc??

[Happyrosie in reply to MAC0811]

If you get hearing aids, the audiologist will set them for fit you, and then it’s up to you to turn volume up or down if you want. The aids only make a screaming noise if either you take them off and put them next to each other when they are still functional, or if your ear is full of wax.

In Tinnitus UK’s latest magazine there is an article written by a sufferer who also had hyperacusis. She explains how her life was changed by seeing a helpful audiologist and by contacting Tinnitus UK. If I could copy that story I would as it’s quite inspiring for hyperacusis sufferers.

[MAC0811 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thanks for the reply. Just so worried though that if I were to wear aids and then one of them went off inside my ear with a whistle - I don’t think that would help me at all!?

[Happyrosie in reply to MAC0811]

Well such a thing isn’t going to happen! When you go for a fitting at the audiologist (NHS or private) just mention your concerns and they will reassure you - they are the experts.

[sugarplumferry in reply to MAC0811]

what you are referring to is feedback. As long as your hearing aids have been set up properly you won’t get this.

[Hollygolighly1981]

another good one

Tinnitus cookbook

[Hylda2]

I have my hearing aids from the tinnitus clinic at the local hospital. I now only think about it when it is brought to my attention.

I had pulsatile tinnitus too but can’t say I’ve heard that for a while

[Rossi50 in reply to Hylda2]

18 month waiting list here unfortunately 😔

[RONf]

I have tinnitus which is thought to be connected to a moderate hearing loss (played in a band and DJ) and hearing aids certainly bring in the frequencies that dip. This makes the T much less noticeable and has helped me habituate. Fortunately, local NHS audiology where I live are GREAT and I am now on my third set of hearing aids, which audiology ensure are updated models matched to a current, up to date hearing test.. Also I have regular appointments for micro-suction of any build up of wax every five months at local NHS ENT t o ensure my hearing is not obstructed. All this has helped me on the journey to habituation. I also look very carefully at any meds (eg anti-biotics) to ensure they are NOT ototoxic

[Rossi50]

Thanks for the reply. Although I had a little T beforehand which I never ever heard unless going to sleep and then just a quiet fuzz, I'm assuming my mild hearing loss has always been there and this current spike T may have been triggered by the traumatic even at the start of the year. Who knows.

[Persevere99]

Hi Rossi50

Please read my own T post where I describe many years of having to use benzos to get to sleep, because, self absorbed, I gave my T a very high rating of about 50.

Then, came my epiphany, by helicoptering up and seeing that there are so many things in the world worse than T and started looking at other peoples’ far worse problems.

And, slowly, that did it, and the rating I gave the T dropped slowly to Zero after some months, and no more benzos for many years now.

All the best

Persevere

[Rossi50 in reply to Persevere99]

So encouraging. How long did it take?. I'm 8 months in and I must say I'm starting more with that attitude and trying not to react or get frustrated. The volume is definitely less. Just hoping it'll go back to baseline at some point.

[Persevere99]

Hi Rossi50

It took about 3 months of slowly cutting down the benzos dose from 2 mgs to nothing at all

I tell myself now that I am so lucky, to have just the T to deal with

Compared to some of the very sad problems others are going through

All the best

Persevere