Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Hearing Aids by Ross Dineen and Myriam Westcott (Dineen & Westcott Audiologist). People with a hearing loss often blame their tinnitus for their hearing problems, particularly when communicating in groups and in background noise. The tinnitus is a symptom of a hearing loss, not a cause. If you have hearing loss, then hearing aids will be effective in both the management of your hearing loss and your tinnitus. Hearing aids, by amplifying external sounds around you, will result in your internal noise, or tinnitus, becomes less noticeable. To be effective in managing both the hearing loss and the tinnitus, hearing aids need to be worn for most of the day. The effort of straining to hear a conversation and resultant communication difficulties frequently lead to frustration, fatigue and stress. These are all major aggravating factors in the tinnitus awareness and annoyance. Once you have adapted to the amplifications provided by your hearing aids, you can expect a significant reduction in stress and fatigue. Because your hearing loss is likely to have developed over some time, your concept of what is “normal” hearing has also slowly changed. When hearing aids are fitted for the first time, and sounds are boosted to the level they should be heard, your concept of what is “normal” hearing will need to be adjusted. Many sounds will seem unnaturally prominent or noticeable for the first few weeks, as it takes time for the brain to relearn these sounds. This adaptation or adjustment period may last up to several months. For this process of adaptation to occur, it is advisable to use your hearing aids for most of the day. Your hearing aid may be less effective as a tinnitus management tool when you are in a quiet environment. Sounds enrichment is required, using the strategies previously outlined. It is important to remember, however, that most people with a hearing loss will have a reduced ability to hear a voice through background noise. Digital signal processing hearing aids are now available with multiple channels, twin microphones and noise suppression features to assist communication in background noise. Conventional hearing aids do not have these features. When you remove your hearing aids, you may notice your tinnitus appears more prominent. Don’t be concerned about this; it is simply due to the lack of amplification of environmental sounds making your tinnitus seem louder by contrast. Try not to remove your hearing aids in a quiet environment; increasing the volume of environmental sounds will help. Genes that cause age related hearing loss The research, just published in the journal ‘Human Mutation’ could eventually lead to treatments being developed to prevent age related hearing loss, they believe. Hearing loss is the most common sensory impairment among older people, affecting around 6.5 million people aged over 60 in the UK. Hearing loss erodes the quality of life for many making it difficult for them to communicate with their family and friends, which can lead to increasing isolation. Currently, there is no way of identifying those risks or preventing the onset of hearing loss. The RNID-funded project, led by Professor Guy Van Camp at the University in Antwerp, tested the hearing of 645 people aged 40 and 80. Genetic analysis of a gene called KCNQ4 showed significant differences in its sequence between those with a hearing loss and those without, which was confirmed in a separate study of a further 664 people. The findings indicated that KCNQ4, gene known to function in the ear, contributed to age related hearing loss. To confirm this, additional research needs to be carried out to identify the sequence changes that alter the way the gene works. |
Dr Ralph Holmes, RNID’s Biomedical Research Manager, says: “ Many people consider hearing loss as an integral part of ageing, rather than a potential preventable condition. This research provides another important piece of the jigsaw in highlighting a gene associated with age-related hearing loss, It offers real hope that treatments will be found and we are optimistic that in the future people will no longer face the prospects of losing their hearing as they age.” Professor Van Camp headed the research at the University of Antwerp and the findings are published in the Journal ‘Human Mutation’ (Vol.28. August, 2006) at: www.wiley.com/humanmutation. Hearing isn’t just about ears: Age-related hearing loss is not just a case of the ear losing the hearing function. The ability of the brain to process sound is weakened as well. Modern digital hearing aids with directional microphones may solve some of these problems. The ears are still crucial for hearing, but preliminary studies in mice indicate that a decrease in certain processes in the brain may make it harder to filter out unimportant sounds. ‘Traditionally, scientist studying hearing problems started looking at the ear. But we are finding patients with normal ears who still have trouble understanding a conversation. There are many people who have good inner ears who just don’t hear well. That’s because their brains are ageing.’ said Dr Robert D Frisina of the University of Rochester Medical Centre. Failure of the Brain People with these problems may find a partial solution in modern digital hearing aids with directional microphones, which can filter out some background noise. For many people, the decline begins when they reach their 40’s or 50’s. New Medication Sporting Danger ‘The noise level is comparable to that in a night club, reaching 110dB. The blaring of horns can reach levels as high as 130dB and although these horns are illegal, they are still brought into the stands by football fans, and they constitute an imminent danger to the hearing of the people around them. The same is true for other noise making devices, such as whistles, smoke bombs and megaphones that can cause instant permanent hearing damage.
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