This article takes a look into how digital hearing aids can help your tinnitus, and suggest the best hearing aids on today's market for those with hearing loss, tinnitus or both. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this awful 'invisible condition', but there are successful treatments, support therapies and digital hearing aids out there to relieve your symptoms.
But first, let's start with what tinnitus actually is. Tinnitus is a persistent sound in the ear which is not the result of any external sound source. Normally experienced as a ringing in the ears, it can usually only be heard by the individual who is experiencing the symptoms. Currently, about 10% of the UK population suffers from persistent tinnitus, and around 1 in 10 of these find it has a large impact on their quality of life.
Approximately 90% of tinnitus cases come with an accompanying loss of hearing, although some individuals with ordinary hearing may have tinnitus as well. Since hearing loss is often a gradual method, many individuals are astonished when a hearing loss is diagnosed alongside their tinnitus complaints.
Although we don’t know for sure where tinnitus comes from, some scientists speculate it is actually ‘noise’ from the brain created in response to its inability to pick up enough sound signals from the hair cells in the ear. Research into tinnitus continues to be undertaken, as the audiology industry still hopes for a tinnitus breakthrough.
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"Research has and always will be a key priority for the BTA, and it is, of course, important that we balance research priorities with helping the thousands of people who contact us each year needing support and advice. But research is something which is never far from our thoughts and actions. It’s something we are all very passionate about and are pushing for" British Tinnitus Association
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Studies indicate that hearing aids can indeed reduce the impact of tinnitus for a large percentage of individuals. In a 2007 US survey of hearing care professionals, they reported that about 60% of their patients with tinnitus had their symptoms eased through hearing aids, and roughly 22% of their patients had experienced significant relief.
We recommend the use of hearing aids for those with hearing loss, tinnitus or both. They can be effective either used alone as 'tinnitus hearing aid maskers' or as part of a wider package of hearing healthcare therapy - designed by your audiologist.
Hearing aids for tinnitus are there to support and assist your tinnitus symptoms - they can't cure tinnitus. They give you relief when you need it the most, so you can benefit from a better quality of life. Please see below how tinnitus hearing aids can help with tinnitus symptoms.
So, how much do tinnitus hearing aids cost? You are not charged extra for hearing aids that have tinnitus therapies included in the device technology features and most hearing aids do include features to relieve tinnitus symptoms. However, to give you an idea, our hearing aids start from £445 per hearing aid and £795 for a pair.
You can obtain a hearing aid for free using the NHS service. Although they offer good hearing solutions with digital hearing aids, they do provide limited choice, style, features and technology. In regards to hearing aids with tinnitus masking, you might be limited to relying on amplification alone to provide a reduction in tinnitus annoyance.
Below are our top picks of tinnitus hearing aids that can help with symptoms and spikes using various features and tinnitus hearing aid apps. This list will constantly be edited as new hearing aid launches are introduced, more advanced tinnitus therapy technology becomes available or we find a better alternative.
Our tinnitus hearing aid review and recommendations are based on our own network of audiologists and their patient's feedback. We always recommend that you speak with your local audiologist about what is available and offer a tinnitus hearing aid comparison - based on your needs, hearing loss and lifestyle.
With less effort in loud settings, Oticon More hearing aids provide a more advanced speech comprehension than ever before. In difficult listening circumstances, their technology helps you to take an active role in conversations, just like individuals with ordinary hearing would.
Oticon hearing aids also come with Tinnitus SoundSupport to assist in controlling your tinnitus by playing a wide range of soothing sounds. You can modify these sounds until they provide you with the relief you need— wherever you need it. Moreover, with the Oticon ON app, alternative tinnitus relief options like your favourite music, audiobooks, podcasts, or even relaxation guides can be streamed wirelessly.
Phonak's Tinnitus Balance noise generator is designed to generate a broadband sound for use in tinnitus management therapies to provide 'masking'. Sound therapy such as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy - offering fitting flexibility through the Phonak Target software. Phonak's renowned sound quality makes it easier to hear external sounds, helping draw attention away from tinnitus symptoms.
Phonak Paradise hearing aids deliver outstanding speech understanding and a decrease in listening effort with the capacity to stream all audio material effortlessly from iPhone and Android smartphones or billions of other Bluetooth-enabled devices, in full stereo. You can even pair up to eight devices and use two at the same time, so this means you have access to an infinite variety of sounds to help control your tinnitus, by streaming any audio material from a smartphone to your hearing aids. Whether you prefer white noise or the sound of a whirring fan, you can stream whatever sounds you need straight into your hearing aids.
People with tinnitus experience sounds differently. The Resound Relief app easily assists your symptom management needs. Offering a mix of sound therapies, strategies for relaxation and guidance. Allowing you to design your own soundscapes like white noise and pieces of music for up to five layers at a time.
With the Resound ONE hearing aids, you can use your smartphone, tablet and your Bluetooth speaker headset to get tinnitus relief at your fingertips.
Manage your tinnitus symptoms using Widex Zen Therapy Tones. This is a Widex-owned proprietary function that helps to reduce tinnitus symptoms alongside a wider programme of tinnitus therapies. These fractal tones are produced by the Widex Moment hearing aid to help you relax and unwind, and are used in conjunction with counselling and relaxation techniques to offer relief as part of a management program for tinnitus sufferers.
Signia X hearing aids offer a technology called Notch Therapy, which has been scientifically proven to decrease tinnitus annoyance. This technique is particularly useful for individuals who have tonal tinnitus, which is considered the most widespread form. It manages your tinnitus inaudibly and unobtrusively, unlike the static noise and ocean wave methods that form part of most tinnitus management packages. All you need to do is wear your hearing aids as normal and your symptoms could improve in just a matter of weeks.
Notch Therapy provides the ability to limit your perception of your tinnitus sounds until they are no longer irritating. By consigning the sounds completely into the background over a lengthy period of time, over-stimulation is lowered and your brain gets better at ignoring the sounds, which reduces annoyance. Research by Signia found that the use of Notch Therapy revealed a marked improvement of tinnitus symptoms in 65% of users.
Do not spend hundreds of pounds without getting a second opinion from us.
When we refer to a product as 'New', we mean that the product is new to the market.
When we refer to a product as 'Superseded', we mean that there is a newer range available which replaces and improves on this product.
When we refer to a product as an 'Older Model', we mean that it is has been superseded by at least two more recent hearing aid ranges.