The Invisible 24/7 Hearing Aid: Could It Help With Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, more commonly known as “ringing in the ear” or “head noise”, has been experienced by almost everyone at one time or another, usually after exposure to high volume sound or air pressure. With most people it’s temporary, but for many it stays. Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the head when no external sound is present. In addition to “ringing”, head noises have been described as hissing, roaring, pulsing, whooshing, chirping, whistling and clicking. If you live with tinnitus you may also have symptoms including difficulty sleeping, concentrating and issues with cognition that, over time, can include anxiety, anger, depression, and loss of control.

Since its launch in 2008, Lyric is the first and only device of its kind establishing a new category of hearing solutions: 24/7 invisibility and extended wear. Lyric is placed several millimetres within the ear canal, near the tympanic membrane, so it is 100% invisible, and can be worn 24 hours a day for months at a time. Lyric is worn during all daily activities including showering, sleeping and exercising. This frees the wearer from typical hassles presented by traditional hearing aids, including multiple daily device insertions or removals, battery changes, and cleaning. Moreover, the placement of the device near the tympanic membrane enables the anatomy of the ear to naturally transform sound before it enters the Lyric microphone for amplification.

Lyric not only delivers significant acoustic, practical, and cosmetic benefits to wearers, but it also offers practical improvements above daily wear devices. Patients report ease of use with their phone, in wind, hearing important sounds during the night and never misplacing their hearing devices. The Lyric also provides a new opportunity to understand how continuous auditory stimulation could impact patients with mild to moderate hearing loss – and more specifically, patients with tinnitus.

Research suggests that patients with chronic tinnitus can experience relief when provided increased input into the auditory pathway with a hearing aid. However, there are a few characteristics inherent to traditional hearing aids that can limit these potential benefits. These characteristics include the required removal throughout the day for a variety of common activities, like showering, exercising, and especially sleeping (when Tinnitus can be most bothersome). A study conducted by Dr Jacob Johnson shows that when fitted with a Lyric, these limitations can be eliminated and patients observed a significant improvement with their tinnitus.