When someone experiences tinnitus, he or she hears ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or any other sound without an actual sound source. While tinnitus might be only a minor issue for some individuals, it might affect their concentration, sleep, and overall ability to communicate and enjoy life.

The main question raised by those with tinnitus is the following: do OTC hearing aids work on tinnitus? Yes, they can be used for this purpose since the amplification of environmental sounds helps tinnitus sufferers to focus less on their condition. Therefore, hearing aids can help with tinnitus, but only if people suffer from hearing loss as well. There are special tinnitus sound therapy hearing aids.

This guide will explore the causes of tinnitus, the connection between tinnitus and hearing loss, ways hearing aids might help, and people for whom these devices will be beneficial. We will also talk about situations in which hearing aids won't help, and people shouldn't buy them.

Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can come in different forms depending on the individual. Most individuals experience tinnitus in the form of a persistent or intermittent ringing or buzzing sound in their ear, although other people hear hissing, swooshing, roaring, clicking, or whistling sounds. Such sounds are perceived in the ears or even inside the head, even without any source of external sound being around.

Tinnitus may sometimes be mild and noticeable only in silent places, and for some, the condition may persist, more specifically at night. The persistence of tinnitus may impact the quality of life through disruption of sleep and concentration.

If you are experiencing such problems, you are definitely not alone as far as this goes. According to NIDCD statistics, about 10 to 25 percent of adults have tinnitus. It has also been noted that almost all people suffering from tinnitus do suffer from hearing loss to some degree or other.

Causes of Tinnitus

Typically, tinnitus occurs due to a number of changes that occur in the auditory system, leading to a perception of sound that does not exist in the environment. The following are some of the common reasons for tinnitus:

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is among the most common diseases that lead to tinnitus. It is caused by aging, excessive exposure to loud noise, or changes in the inner ear. With time, the inner ear becomes less sensitive to sounds. As a result, very little information about sound is sent to the brain, especially at certain frequencies. The auditory system adapts to the little information received and hence leads to the perception of sound that does not come from the external environment.

Exposure to Loud Noise

Repetitive loud noise exposure can harm the inner ear and is a recognized risk factor for both hearing loss and tinnitus. Live music events, noisy work environments, machinery, power tools, and personal listening devices played too loudly are some examples. In cases where noise exposure leads to hearing loss along with tinnitus, hearing better through hearing aids might help reduce the tinnitus symptoms. Nevertheless, you should protect yourself against loud noise exposure.

Ear Wax and Other Ear Disorders

Ear wax accumulation may interfere with sound transmission and cause temporary hearing impairment that can either cause or exacerbate tinnitus. Ear disorders such as infections in the outer or middle ear can be involved. In such cases, addressing the underlying ear problem may lead to a reduction in tinnitus.

Medication and Other Diseases

Some types of medication can cause tinnitus or aggravate it when taken in high doses. Tinnitus may be associated with diseases like Ménière's disease, jaw disorders, injury to the head and neck area, and some vascular diseases. Since there can be numerous causes of tinnitus, it is especially important to undergo examination if tinnitus is new or unilateral, or resembles heartbeats or pulses.

What Is the Connection Between Hearing Loss and Tinnitus?

One explanation put forward is that the alteration in auditory neural activity related to less auditory stimuli can play a role in causing tinnitus. As the mechanism is not yet known, tinnitus cannot be considered just an "ear sound." There is interaction between the ear, auditory nerve, and the brain. Therefore, it may continue after one has left the noisy location or even when there is nothing wrong with the ear at all.

How Do Hearing Aids Help with Tinnitus?

There are several ways hearing aids can be helpful for people who have both tinnitus and hearing loss.

1. Hearing Aids Help You Hear More of the Environment

A key function of hearing aids is assisting with your hearing ability. The correct fitting of a hearing aid will amplify sounds based on the user’s needs. It will allow you to hear things such as speech, background sounds, and environmental sounds more clearly.

If there are more sounds in your environment, then your tinnitus sounds may decrease. This means that a person with hearing problems may notice his or her tinnitus much more in a quiet room. Once the hearing aids start amplifying the environmental sounds, then the gap between tinnitus and the sounds around you may get smaller. Hearing aids are one of the principal sound therapy approaches that the NIDCD recommends for tinnitus sufferers with hearing impairment.

2. Hearing Aids May Make Tinnitus Less Noticeable

This distinction is critical: Hearing aids do not necessarily make the tinnitus itself disappear.

Instead, they may make the tinnitus:

• Less noticeable
• Less intrusive
• Easier to ignore
• Less disruptive during conversations and daily activities

In essence, this may involve altering the way the tinnitus sounds as well as its impact on the patient. Despite the fact that the hearing aids can help in decreasing tinnitus, they cannot be used as a means of curing it. This is the reason why an individual experiences tinnitus even when their hearing aids work fine.

3. Better Hearing May Reduce the Impact of Tinnitus

Hearing loss not only causes you to miss out on sounds but may also cause difficulties like:

• Conversation frustrations
• Social isolation
• Effortful listening
• Participating in noisy situations

If hearing aids enhance your ability to communicate, they could help alleviate both of these issues at the same time as decreasing the severity of tinnitus. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended to evaluate hearing aids in people suffering from persistent tinnitus and hearing loss.

When Are Hearing Aids the Best Choice?

The chances of success become especially pertinent when both hearing loss and tinnitus exist. This is a scenario where hearing aids may be an option worth considering.

If you have:

• Ringing or buzzing in your ears
• Trouble hearing people speak to you
• Trouble understanding what people are saying in the presence of background noise
• A habit of turning the volume up on the TV
• Difficulties hearing high-pitched noises
• Hearing loss diagnosed through a hearing test

Then hearing aids can serve two purposes: better hearing + relief from tinnitus. According to the AAO-HNS tinnitus guideline, individuals suffering from tinnitus and proven to have hearing loss should be referred for a hearing-aid assessment. The rationale behind this recommendation is that hearing loss-related tinnitus could possibly benefit from amplification despite only mild hearing loss.

Tinnitus Resulting from Noisy Exposure

If hearing loss and tinnitus have occurred due to noise exposure, then the wearing of hearing aids would solve the problem of hearing difficulties and lessen the effects of tinnitus. However, the use of hearing aids would not repair the damage to the inner ear. The best treatment method would involve protecting yourself from noise exposure to prevent further damage to hearing.

Tinnitus Caused by Earwax Blockage

If earwax is causing tinnitus because it blocks the ear canal, then removal of the blockage can prove more efficient than buying hearing aids.

Pulsatile Tinnitus

Some patients experience tinnitus that appears to pulsate in accordance with the rhythm of their heartbeat. This condition is quite unlike regular tinnitus and could be connected with other conditions of a patient. It has to be diagnosed by a doctor rather than just treated using hearing aids. According to the NIDCD, imaging can be used in cases of pulsating tinnitus.

What Features Should You Look for in a Hearing Aid for Tinnitus?

When you suffer from hearing loss as well as tinnitus, and you choose to investigate hearing aids, what is really important is not the existence of “tinnitus mode” in the hearing aid, but the performance of the device itself.

Appropriate Amplification

The hearing aid should be programmed according to your hearing test. The goal is not simply to make everything louder. It is to provide appropriate amplification for the frequencies where you have difficulty hearing.

Tinnitus Sound Therapy

Some hearing aids include optional sound-generation features. Depending on the device, these may include:

• Broadband noise
• White noise
• Nature sounds
• Customized sounds
• Tinnitus masking programs

These attributes could give another choice to those individuals who consider their tinnitus very annoying. Nevertheless, sound therapy should be regarded as one of the management methods rather than the definite cure.

Individual Customization

Even though you own a hearing aid with a high level of technology, it could disappoint you if it is not properly customized for your personal needs.

Comfort and Consistent Use

This is important since hearing aids should be used all the time. In case you find out that your hearing aid is uncomfortable, has too much feedback, or sounds quite unnatural, it is most likely that you won’t use it very often.

Should You Buy a Hearing Aid?

When deciding to purchase hearing aids due to tinnitus, begin by asking yourself this fundamental question: Do I also suffer from hearing loss?

A logical pathway to make the decision would be:

Step 1: Hearing Test

Hearing test will help find out if one suffers from hearing loss and the degree of this problem. It is especially important because one can suffer from significant hearing loss and not even know it.

Step 2: Understand Your Tinnitus

Consider:

• Is it in one ear or both?
• Is it constant or intermittent?
• Is it ringing, buzzing, humming, or another sound?
• Does it pulse with your heartbeat?
• Does it interfere with sleep or concentration?
• Did it begin after significant noise exposure?

These details can help guide the evaluation.

Step 3: Find Out If Hearing Loss Has Affected You

If you are having problems hearing others talk, watching TV, dining out, meeting people, and hearing your relatives speak, hearing aids can offer you benefits, even if they do not help much with tinnitus. This means that tinnitus improvement becomes an extra possible benefit for you.

Step 4: Talk About Tinnitus Symptoms

If you have hearing loss, and your tinnitus is causing you distress, find out whether the hearing aids that you are planning to buy offer any tinnitus relief possibilities.

Step 5: Have Realistic Expectations

It is not necessary to get rid of your tinnitus. It may be enough to: Hear well + ignore tinnitus more + limit its impact on your life.

When Should You See a Doctor About Tinnitus?

Even though tinnitus is fairly common and does not usually indicate any serious health problem, there are some symptoms which should be investigated. These include:

• Sudden hearing loss
• Persistent tinnitus in only one ear
• Pulsatile tinnitus
• Severe dizziness
• Neurological symptoms
• Rapidly worsening symptoms

AAO-HNS guidelines advocate for an audiological evaluation, especially when tinnitus is unilateral, chronic, or associated with the auditory system. Selective tests are advocated in this guideline for the detection of the underlying cause that could be treated. In cases where sudden hearing loss is observed, urgent medical assessment is required.

The Bottom Line: Do Hearing Aids Help Tinnitus?

Absolutely, for some people—but especially when tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss. Clinical studies and systematic reviews may have found gaps in the existing evidence, but clinical practice guidelines have recommended the use of a hearing aid assessment for patients with persistent, troublesome tinnitus along with hearing loss. After knowing your hearing profile and potential tinnitus profile, you will be in a better position to decide whether a hearing aid, or any other tinnitus management approach, suits you or not.

Sources and Further Reading

• NIDCD — National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Tinnitus

• AAO-HNS — American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery: Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus

• Cochrane — Hearing aids for tinnitus in hearing-impaired patients

• Cochrane — Sound therapy using amplification devices or sound generators for tinnitus.