Did you know that 90% of tinnitus cases occur with an underlying hearing lossi? At Oticon, we offer advanced hearing aids that are designed to both enhance your hearing and deliver therapeutic sound to provide relief from tinnitus. Read more to discover how sound therapy can make a life-changing difference for you.
Tinnitus in a nutshell
Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external sound source. Roughly 30% of people will experience tinnitus during their lifetimeii. Individuals may describe their tinnitus as a ringing, whistling, roaring, chirping, or whooshing sound. Those with a history of excessive noise exposure or hearing loss have an increased risk of developing tinnitus. It is common to have negative emotions associated with tinnitus, but it is important to know that you are not alone in your experience. In fact, you are one of the millions of people throughout the world who exhibit tinnitus. While there is no current cure for tinnitus, extensive research continues to search for a solution.
Hearing aids have been proven to reduce the negative impact of tinnitus
When you think of hearing aids, you may not automatically consider how they could help with tinnitus. Fortunately, there is evidence supporting the use of hearing aids to manage tinnitus.
A research studyiii examined both new and experienced hearing aid users with tinnitus. At the beginning of the experiment, everyone in the study was given Oticon hearing aids and completed
several questionnaires. The same questionnaires were then administered to participants at the end of the study.The results showed that, regardless of being a new or experienced hearing aid user, participants experienced a 47% reduction in tinnitus impact after 12 weeks of hearing aid use*. This means that issues such as thinking (cognition), sleep, and overall well-being (quality of life), which had been worsened by tinnitus, got better after using hearing aids.
While hearing aids cannot eliminate tinnitus entirely, they can help to successfully minimise the negative effect it has on daily life. So, how does this work?
Think of your tinnitus as a violin being played in a quiet room. If the violin is the only instrument being played, it will be the most noticeable and prominent sound that you hear.
Now, add in other instruments alongside the violin. When this happens, you have a full orchestra of sound. You can still hear the violin if you concentrate, but now you can also hear all the other instruments being played simultaneously. This allows for your brain to focus on all sounds - rather than just the violin.
Hearing aids work in the same way. By wearing hearing aids, you are giving your brain access to more sound from the world around you. When your brain has more sound to process, the tinnitus effectively fades into the background. Sometimes, wearing hearing aids alone is enough to help relieve tinnitus.
Other times, having a tinnitus program that produces constant, low-level sound is beneficial. You can speak with an audiologist to find out the best solution for you depending on symptoms and the level of disruption that your tinnitus causes in your daily life.
Take control of your tinnitus
There are many ways that you can take control of your tinnitus. Sometimes, tinnitus can evoke a negative emotional response. Trained professionals can help regulate that response, so that it is not as strong. Other methods such as hearing aids and sound therapy help to provide your brain with alternative sounds to focus on.
The goal of sound therapy is to find a pleasant sound that takes your attention away from your tinnitus. Incorporating technology can be incredibly beneficial. For Oticon hearing aids with Tinnitus SoundSupport, the Oticon Companion app allows you to switch in and out of your tinnitus program. The app also provides you with the ability to control the speed of the sound within your tinnitus program. For example, if your tinnitus program usually contains a constant white noise, you can speed up or slow down this sound based on your preference. This provides you with the flexibility to adjust your tinnitus program as needed, since your perception of what is a pleasant sound can vary from day-to-day. You can speak with your audiologist about finding sounds that are pleasant for you and how to use the Oticon Companion app for tinnitus.
Want to learn more?
This article briefly reviewed the evidence supporting the use of Oticon hearing aids to help individuals with tinnitus. To read more about the study, view the published paper or latest Oticon whitepaperiv on tinnitus.
References
i Hearing Health Foundation. (2024). Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Can tinnitus be treated or cured? https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/learn-about-tinnitus
ii Mancktelow, B. (2024). All about tinnitus. Tinnitus UK. https://tinnitus.org.uk/understanding-tinnitus/leaflets-and-publications/
iii Sanders, P. J., Nielsen, R. M., Jensen, J. J., & Searchfield, G. D. (2023). Hearing aids with tinnitus sound support reduce tinnitus severity for new and experienced hearing aid users. Frontiers in Audiology and Otology,1. https://doi.org/10.3389/fauot.2023.1238164
iv Ducatte, C. (2025). Reduced tinnitus impact using Oticon hearing aids equipped with Tinnitus SoundSupport™. Oticon whitepaper.
Disclaimer
*47% reduction of tinnitus impact across all participants was observed when comparing the total median baseline to median final Tinnitus Functional Index scores.