FAQ & Tinnitus
at Sunnyview Hearing Center
Want to know more about hearing aids? Read on to learn more and to get a better understanding of some common misconceptions when it comes to hearing aid technology.
Additionally, we’ve provided some resources to better educate you about tinnitus (ringing in the ears), including both common causes, and how to treat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, hearing aids do not make a person’s hearing worse. When someone starts wearing hearing aids, they realize how much auditory information was being missed before the hearing aids were in use. When the hearing aids are taken off, there can be a perception of a greater hearing loss even if the person’s hearing has not changed.
No, hearing aids will not make a person’s hearing normal. Hearing aids are an aid, and they cannot restore normal hearing. When there is a hearing loss, there is damage to the auditory system. If the damage is in the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve, the damage cannot be fixed. Hearing aids can make sounds that are not able to be heard, audible (up to a certain point) but the damage to the ear may prevent an accurate auditory signal from reaching the brain.
According to the American National Standards, Institiute (ANSI, 1969) Tinnitus is “the sensation of sound without external stimulation.” Basically, tinnitus is a sound that is not actually present in the environment that is heard in one ear, both ears, or more generally in the head. This sound is typically described as a high or low pitched ringing, buzzing, or sizzling sound. Tinnitus is a symptom. It is not the cause of a particular problem. Tinnitus is also part of a normal process.
Because tinnitus is a symptom, many things can cause it. There are many medications that are know to have a side effect of tinnitus. Certain medical conditions can cause tinnitus. Impacted ear wax can cause tinnitus. However, the most common cause of tinnitus is a hearing loss.
Because tinnitus is a symptom and it is most commonly caused by a hearing loss, treating the underlying hearing loss often times provides at least some tinnitus relief. There are also several hearing aids on the market now that provide an optional sound generating feature that when enabled can provide most often a significant amount of tinnitus relief.
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