Best Hearing Aids for Tinnitus

Our top picks: hearing aids for tinnitus

To make our picks, we thoroughly reviewed 20 brands, looking for the top hearing aid companies that excel in tinnitus technology. We considered tinnitus relief features, customer reviews and tinnitus app ratings.

The following four companies offer a range of hearing aid styles with built-in tinnitus technology and are compatible with sound therapy apps.

Embrace Hearing offers a wide range of hearing aid styles with built-in tinnitus sound therapy features. Its Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can seamlessly connect with any tinnitus app on the market.

Beltone has a highly rated app that lets you personalize your experience. The app comes with a selection of environmental, musical and therapeutic sounds, or you can create your own soothing sounds to listen to.

Miracle-Ear's receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear models offer a selection of three preprogrammed options: static noise, ocean waves and Notch Therapy. These options can be easily adjusted using the Miracle-Ear app.

Widex offers the Zen tinnitus management app and includes Zen therapy technology in many of its hearing aids. Its distributors test your tinnitus to find the tones and volume that relieve your symptoms, and the technology creates fractal tones that help your brain focus on sounds other than tinnitus.

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the air, often described as a ringing, buzzing, whistling, hissing or clicking. It can be in one or both ears, and it can be constant or intermittent.

The exact cause of tinnitus isn’t fully understood, but it is believed to be caused by damage to the auditory system. This damage can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• Loud noise exposure: This is the most common cause of tinnitus. Exposure to loud noise can damage the hair cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for hearing.
• Age-related hearing loss: As people age, they’re more likely to develop hearing loss. This can lead to tinnitus as the brain starts to "fill in" the missing sounds with noise.
• Medications: Some medications list tinnitus as a side effect. These include aspirin, ibuprofen, antibiotics and certain antidepressants.
• Head or neck injuries: A head or neck injury can damage the auditory system, leading to tinnitus.
• Medical conditions: Tinnitus can be a symptom of a medical condition, such as Meniere's disease, high blood pressure and tumors of the ear or brain.

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Tinnitus treatment

There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for tinnitus; the best approach varies depending on your symptoms and the underlying cause. However, there are a number of different treatment options available, including:

• Hearing aids: Hearing aids can be helpful for people with tinnitus who also have hearing loss. The aids can amplify sound, which can help to mask the tinnitus and make it less noticeable.
• Tinnitus maskers: Tinnitus maskers are devices that emit a specific sound (“white noise” or “pink noise”). The maskers can help to mask the tinnitus and make it less noticeable.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of psychotherapy that can help you manage the emotional and psychological effects of tinnitus. CBT can also help you cope with tinnitus and reduce its impact on your life.
• Sound therapy: Sound therapy involves listening to specific sounds, such as nature sounds or music, that can help to relax the mind and reduce the perception of tinnitus.
• Electrical stimulation: Electrical stimulation involves delivering mild electrical currents to the brain or ear. This can help to reduce the activity of the auditory nerve, which can in turn reduce the perception of tinnitus.
• Surgery: In some cases, surgery may be an option for people with tinnitus. However, surgery is usually a last resort — it isn’t always effective and can be risky.

If you’re experiencing tinnitus, it’s important to see a doctor to get a diagnosis and discuss treatment options. There’s no cure for tinnitus, but there are a number of treatments that can help to reduce the symptoms and improve your quality of life.

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