Tinnitus 

Tinnitus creates a ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or roaring sound that an individual hears when no external sound is present.

Signs of tinnitus

• Ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, roaring, or musical sounds that a person perceives. This can be present when no external sound, however, there are cases in which internal sounds such as a change in blood flow are interpreted as a sign of tinnitus.
• There is a strong relationship between tinnitus and hearing loss.
• Tinnitus can be disturbing and upsetting, leading many patients from specialist to specialist in an often-disappointing search for help.
• About 78% of individuals seeking medical attention are told “There’s nothing that can be done to help. You’ll just have to learn to live with it.”
• Approximately 20% of patients with hearing loss complain of tinnitus and about 90% of patients with severe tinnitus have hearing loss.
• There is a strong connection between tinnitus and depression when symptoms are severe.

Hearing aids

According to a survey of 230 hearing care professionals, 60% of their patients found that using hearing aids significantly reduced their tinnitus. Less than 2% reported that hearing aids made their tinnitus worse. Unfortunately, many individuals dealing with hearing loss and tinnitus do not seek help because they mistakenly believe their tinnitus prevents the successful use of hearing aids.