Can wearing hearing aids actually make your Tinnitus worse? Hearing aids are actually prescribed as a treatment modality for Tinnitus. This is because 90% of people with Tinnitus also suffer from hearing loss. By giving such people hearing aids, the aim of audiologists is to let them process more auditory inputs from their environment. This then leads to a reduced perception of the tinnitus sound in their head. But, there are some instances where hearing aids can indeed make tinnitus worse. We discuss these situations below.
When can hearing aids make Tinnitus worse?
Improper hearing aid calibration
Hearing aids are not meant to be used right out of the box, however user friendly they are. They must be customized and programmed to match the patient’s unique hearing profile. So, if you bought your hearing aids online and tried them on a- is, there’s a chance that it make your Tinnitus flare up. This is possible even if your hearing has otherwise improved after beginning to wear your new hearing aids.
What is Your Tinnitus Handicap Score?
Calculate your THI Score in about 2-3 Minutes
If you just bought your hearing aids and it made your Tinnitus worse, we suggest that you visit an audiologist to have it calibrated or re-calibrated. You can also try calibrating the hearing aid yourself, by following literature provided by the manufacturer. You might be able to find a setting that both allows you to hear better and also keep your Tinnitus at the same baseline level you were used to previously.
When you have Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is a condition where you have extreme sensitivity to noises that are considered fairly normal. For example, the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a barking dog might be tolerable to most people but not to you, because you have hyperacusis. It is possible that your hyperacusis condition might have presented itself or become exacerbated when you began to wear hearing aids.
Hearing aids can exacerbate hyperacusis and this can in turn cause you to become stressed and anxious. Stress and anxiety are well known Tinnitus spike triggers.
How Severe is Your Tinnitus?
Find out by using this THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) Scoring Calculator
Talk to your audiologist about having your hearing aids recalibrated. They might be able to adjust amplification levels to a point where your hyperacusis is not triggered, allowing your Tinnitus to return to normal levels.
When you are using your new hearing aids too much, too soon!
When you first get your hearing aids, you must take time to gradually get used to them. You can otherwise develop auditory fatigue that can increase Tinnitus. Most audiologists will recommend that you wear your new hearing aids only for 2-4 hours a day at first. As you acclimatize to the hearing aids, you can slowly increase this time by an hour or so a week, until you can wear them comfortably and without aggravating your Tinnitus.
So, if you just got your hearing aids and have been wearing them all the time, it might be time to dial back, to see if it will allow your Tinnitus to return to normal. You must also not wear your hearing aids when you are in quiet environments.
When you are using a hearing aid in only one ear
Hearing aids best provide Tinnitus relief when you wear them on both ears. These are called bilateral hearing aids. If your Tinnitus got worse after you started to wear a unilateral hearing aid, you can try to tell your audiologist to prescribe bilateral hearing aids.
Ideally, hearing aids should help reduce the perception of your Tinnitus. But, in certain circumstances as described above, they can make Tinnitus worse. In such cases, you do not have to discontinue hearing aid use. Recalibration or just giving yourself time to orient to hearing aids can usually help problems like aggravated Tinnitus resolve. Approach an audiologist for professional advice.
