I had trouble adjusting to the tinnitus. After suffering for about four months I asked my otolaryngologist what else could be done. He had no medical treatment for tinnitus. He recommended talking to either Dr. Paula Schwartz regarding tinnitus retraining therapy or the University of California, Irvine, online. I wanted a local provider so I went to see Dr. Schwartz. She explained the theory of tinnitus and the theory of tinnitus retraining therapy. She prescribed hearing aids that acted as noise generators.
The low-level background noise from the hearing aids has helped me live with the tinnitus. During the day, I wear hearing aids that generate a background noise in both of my ears. Wearing the hearing aids has helped me a lot. I still have a few days when the tinnitus bothers me, but most days it doesn’t bother me much and sometimes I even forget about the tinnitus. Before trying the hearing aids, I was very nervous and had serious trouble sleeping. My days are much improved by the using the hearing aids with the background noise.
I generally sleep with a sound machine app on my phone. I play brown noise as a background sound at night and sleep a lot better than I did before.
I have worn the hearing aids about 17 months. The hyperacusis is long gone. The tinnitus is still present, but my reaction to it is much better than it was. I have an occasional bad day, but am much happier than before the tinnitus retraining therapy treatment. I am also sleeping better than before the tinnitus retraining therapy.
T. P