Studies Show that Hearing Loss Can Worsen Tinnitus

Are you experiencing tinnitus? This buzzing or ringing sound in your ear can interfere with your daily life, with your work, and with your sleep. Tinnitus is a phantom sound that only you can hear, and it can lead to elevated stress levels, fatigue, and poor concentration. One recent study found that hearing loss can worsen tinnitus. Thankfully there are ways you can manage both your tinnitus and hearing loss.

How Hearing Loss Affects Tinnitus

One recent study published in March 2021 looked at the connection between tinnitus and hearing loss. The researchers wanted to know if tinnitus was more severe for people with hearing loss. The study included 73 participants who all had tinnitus. 34 participants had normal hearing, and the other 39 participants had hearing loss. The study used the Tinnitus Functional Index questionnaire to find out if participants had mild, significant, or severe tinnitus.

Here’s where it gets interesting. In the group without hearing loss, only 3 participants reported severe tinnitus. But in the group with hearing loss, 12 participants reported significant tinnitus, and another 16 reported severe tinnitus!

This study indicates that hearing loss can make tinnitus worse. People with hearing loss can experience more severe tinnitus than people without hearing loss. 

Coping with Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

Tinnitus by itself can be a major annoyance. It disrupts your personal and professional life. But when hearing loss is added to the mix it gets even more devastating. If you have hearing loss and tinnitus, there are several ways you can cope with tinnitus.

Sound Masking: One effective tinnitus treatment is sound masking. Do you use a white noise machine to sleep, or turn on a noisy fan to get relief from tinnitus? Sound masking is similar, but it targets your tinnitus. Sound masking programs can play white noise, pink noise, nature sounds, or music. You can set the program to play these sounds at the same pitch or volume as your tinnitus. This shifts your focus away from your tinnitus. The tinnitus sounds will be masked by the other sounds, giving you tinnitus relief. 

Mindfulness: Stress plays a major role in tinnitus. The more stressed you feel and the more you pay attention to your tinnitus, the worse it will get. This can make you feel even more stressed! Practicing mindfulness, breathing exercises, or any other activities that calm the mind can help break this stress cycle. When you’re calmer, your tinnitus can fade into the background.

Relaxation: Another way to reduce tinnitus is by relaxing. For example, taking a bath to reduce muscle tension can reduce stress and diminish tinnitus. A progressive muscle relaxation exercise is another great way to release tension in your body. While lying down, slowly think about each area of your body, intentionally relaxing each muscle group.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This form of counseling can help you manage tinnitus. It is a way to challenge your thoughts around tinnitus, and reduce the stressful thoughts or behaviors that accompany tinnitus. 

Hearing Aids Treat Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

If you have tinnitus, your first step in managing tinnitus and hearing loss is to visit My Hearing Centers for a hearing test and consultation. We have experience treating hearing loss and managing tinnitus. We’ll help you find a treatment option that can help you with both hearing loss and tinnitus.

For example, we have hearing aids with built-in tinnitus therapy programs. These hearing aids will treat your hearing loss and help you turn up the volume on the sounds around you. When you hear more of the sounds in your environment, you’ll have many sounds to focus on. You won’t spend as much time listening to your tinnitus or focusing on these frustrating sounds.

But that’s not all. We have hearing aids that also include tinnitus management programs. These use advanced sound masking. When your tinnitus starts interfering with your daily life, just switch on the tinnitus management program. This program is calibrated to your exact tinnitus. It will play sounds that match your tinnitus in pitch and volume, making the tinnitus fade into the background. You’ll get relief from your tinnitus and enjoy your day without all the ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds you’ve come to dread.

To find out more about tinnitus treatment options, contact us today!