Tinnitus and hearing aids: how modern technology can help

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus, the constant ringing, whistling, rushing or humming in the ear, affects around 10 million people in Germany. About 1.5 million of them are affected so severely that their daily life is considerably impaired. As a master hearing care professional I meet tinnitus patients every day and know how much of a burden this condition can be.

Tinnitus is not a disease in its own right but a symptom. The sounds perceived do not come from an external source; the brain generates them itself. The causes are varied.

Common causes of tinnitus

• Hearing loss: the most common cause. The brain compensates for missing acoustic input by producing signals of its own
• Noise damage: a single acoustic trauma or chronic noise exposure
• Stress and psychological strain: can trigger tinnitus or make it worse
• Circulatory problems in the inner ear: these affect the sensitive hair cells
• Medication: certain antibiotics, painkillers and chemotherapy agents are ototoxic
• Jaw joint problems (TMD): tension in the jaw can encourage tinnitus
• Earwax blockage: one of the simplest and most treatable causes

The link between tinnitus and hearing loss

In over 80 percent of cases tinnitus occurs together with a hearing loss. That is no coincidence: when the ear no longer hears certain frequencies well, the brain tries to fill the gap and generates the characteristic phantom sounds in the process. This is exactly where modern hearing aids come in.

How hearing aids help with tinnitus

1. Amplifying the missing frequencies

The most direct route: when the hearing aid amplifies the frequencies lost to the hearing loss, the brain has real acoustic input to process again. The tinnitus recedes into the background because it is no longer the only signal the auditory centre receives.

Many of our customers report that simply wearing hearing aids makes the tinnitus noticeably quieter. Sometimes it disappears entirely for a while.

2. Tinnitus masking (noiser)

Most modern hearing aids include a built-in tinnitus noiser. These generate a gentle noise or natural sounds (ocean waves, rain, white noise) that cover the tinnitus or push it into the background.

The masking signals can be adjusted individually:

• Volume: as quiet as possible, just enough to cover the tinnitus
• Frequency: matched to the patient's tinnitus frequency
• Sound character: a choice of noise types and natural sounds
• Scheduling: automatic activation or manual control via the app

3. Notch therapy

Notch therapy is a newer approach that can be particularly effective for tonal tinnitus, meaning a tinnitus with a clearly defined frequency. The principle:

The hearing aid amplifies every frequency except the tinnitus frequency, which is deliberately left out (notched). The goal is for the brain to reduce neural activity at that frequency over the long term, a kind of reprogramming.

Signia and Oticon offer this feature in many of their current models. The therapy requires consistent wearing over several months, but then shows lasting results in many patients.

4. Combined approaches

In our stores we often take a combined approach:

• Optimal hearing aid provision for the hearing loss
• A tinnitus noiser for acute phases
• Notch therapy for long-term improvement
• Advice on stress management and relaxation techniques

When should you see a specialist?

See an ENT doctor without delay if:

• The tinnitus appears suddenly and on one side only
• It is accompanied by dizziness or sudden hearing loss
• The tinnitus pulses in time with your heartbeat
• The strain is so severe that sleep, concentration or mood suffer

An ENT doctor can rule out organic causes and issue a medical prescription for hearing aid provision.

The Elbe Akustik approach to tinnitus

At Elbe Akustik we take tinnitus seriously. My business partner Jann Clausen and I have studied the latest therapeutic approaches in depth. Our process:

1. A thorough case history: we take time to understand your tinnitus, its character, volume, frequency and triggers
2. Audiometric measurement: precise assessment of your hearing and of the tinnitus frequency
3. Individual device selection: choosing a hearing aid with the best tinnitus features for your situation
4. Fitting and fine tuning: careful adjustment of the noiser and, where appropriate, notch therapy
5. Ongoing advice: tips on relaxation, sleep hygiene and living with tinnitus

Book a tinnitus consultation, we will help you get your tinnitus under control.