For many Canadian seniors, home health care is a key part of aging safely at home. Whether seniors need medical services, personal care, meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping or companionship, home care can help them live independently at home, for as long as possible. Caregivers help family members by delivering expert care that gives everyone peace-of-mind and relieves any feelings of caregiving being “burdensome.” A professional caregiver also will enjoy socializing by chatting, engaging in activities like puzzles or crafts and listening to music. Talk to your family about aging in place safely, with the supports you need.

Hearing aids are able to help make tinnitus more manageable in a couple of ways. To find out if it can help you, it helps to know what tinnitus is, the specific way that you experience tinnitus and the techniques used by hearing aids to provide relief from tinnitus. Read on to find out more about how hearing aids are able to help manage tinnitus.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is usually described as a ringing sound experienced in the ears, though the actual sound differs for different people, ranging from buzzing or whistling to clicking sounds. The noise does not go away entirely, though it does become more noticeable after hearing loud sounds. If the symptoms continue for over three months, it is known as chronic tinnitus.

Tinnitus is not a medical condition itself. Instead, it is a symptom of another condition, though the specific causes of tinnitus are not well-known. The leading causes of tinnitus are related to age and extended exposure to loud sounds. Hearing loss from damaged hair cells in the cochlea, which is involved in hearing as part of the inner ear, is a common cause of tinnitus.

Since hearing loss reduces the amount of external sounds that can reach your brain, it changes the way that your brain processes sound frequencies. As a result, to compensate for the insufficient external sounds, the brain overcompensates and interprets sounds internally.

The sounds from tinnitus can be annoying and can make communication difficult. If you believe that you have tinnitus, it would be best to visit a hearing health professional to have an evaluation and discuss possible
treatments.

Can a hearing aid stop tinnitus?

Currently, tinnitus cannot be completely cured, but in many cases, hearing aids can make the symptoms of tinnitus less severe. Though hearing aids cannot stop tinnitus entirely, they can still help with daily functioning.

One way that hearing aids can help with tinnitus is that they can enhance external sounds so that the inner sounds from tinnitus are not as noticeable. As this would improve your ability to hear external sounds and distract you from the inner sounds, it makes communication possible.

Another way that hearing aids can provide tinnitus relief is tinnitus masking, which is the use of white noise to hide the sounds of tinnitus. As the tinnitus sound cannot be distinguished amongst the white noise, your brain is able to focus on external sounds.

An increasing number of hearing aids have tinnitus masking nowadays. Tinnitus masking is built in as a feature in some hearing aids or exists as a function that can be programmed in other hearing aids. A hearing care professional will be able to help program your hearing aid to best suit your individual needs.

How can I use hearing aids to effectively manage tinnitus?

To get the most benefit from using hearing aids for tinnitus relief, it’s best if you are able to wear the hearing aid as often as possible. If hearing aids are used often enough, it trains your brain to focus on the external sounds and treat tinnitus sounds as not important. This process is known as habituation.

By using your hearing aid often, it also helps you preserve your ability to perceive external sounds. Hearing external sounds provides stimulation to keep your auditory system active, which prevents atrophy in your auditory nerves. As a result, you will be better able to maintain your ability to process language.

Are hearing aids able to help everybody with tinnitus?

As tinnitus is a symptom resulting from a wide range of conditions, hearing aids are not able to provide relief in all cases. Hearing aids are most successful in tinnitus masking for those with hearing loss.

Even if you experience hearing loss, hearing aids are less effective for higher frequencies of tinnitus. If your tinnitus has more of a hissing or buzzing sound or has a pitch above 6 kHz, which can be determined by an audiologist, hearing aids are less likely to provide relief for your tinnitus.

Who is most likely to benefit from using a hearing aid for tinnitus?

Hearing aids are most helpful for younger individuals who experience tinnitus as a result of hearing loss. The use of hearing aids is also more effective for people who have not had tinnitus for a long time as their auditory system has not become accustomed to the reduced external stimulation.

Even if you do not fall into the groups of people who benefit the most from hearing aids for managing tinnitus, the use of hearing aids are still often worth a try. If you use the hearing aid consistently every day over a longer period of time, the relief from your tinnitus will be easier to detect.

To get the most impact from the use of hearing aids for tinnitus, visiting a hearing professional would help. Not only would they be able to determine the pitch or intensity of your tinnitus, but they could also help you select and program a hearing aid that best meets your needs.

For the expert services of an audiologist or hearing professional to determine if they can help you manage your tinnitus, the team at NexGen Hearing is here to support you.

Sources

https://www.healthline.com/health/hearing-aid-for-tinnitus

https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/hearing-aids

https://canadianaudiologist.ca/tackling-tinnitus-the-time-is-now/

Physical activity plays an important role in your health and quality of life by making you feel healthier and stronger. Being active helps to improve your balance, reduce your risk of falls and injuries and can help you stay independent longer. So take the initiative! It’s never too late to start and you don’t need to go to a gym to add a little exercise to your routine; consult your doctor and ask to learn more about exercises that can be done while sitting in your chair!

Would you like to highlight an outstanding senior in the Comox Valley? Send a brief paragraph, explaining why, to Chris at admin@comoxvalleyseniorsupport.ca. We will need contact information for the senior you are recommending as we will need to attain consent from them to share their story. We will feature as many as possible in upcoming issues!

– In 2018, almost one-quarter of seniors aged 65 and older (about 1.5 million people) provided care or help to family members or friends with a long-term condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to aging.
– One-third (34%) of all caregivers aged 65 and older provided care for a spouse or partner. This proportion increased to 47% when focusing on seniors aged 75 and older, and to 50% for those aged 85 and older.
– Almost one-third (31%) of senior caregivers who were caring for a spouse spent 30 hours or more a week providing care or help. Senior women caring for a spouse spent more hours doing so than senior men (20 hours compared with 14 hours). – One-third (33%) of senior caregivers reported that their caregiving responsibilities were stressful or very stressful. Stress related to caregiving varied significantly depending on the number of hours spent on caregiving and had a stronger effect on senior women.

Winter months bring on more then cold temperatures; they often bring on winter blues. Many seniors experience depression due to lack of sunshine, activities, and socializing.
Come in out of the cold into the warmth of the Comox Seniors’ Centre at 1801 Beaufort Ave in Comox. Enjoy a coffee and meal at Dei’s Cafe with friends or meet new acquaintances. Pick up Dei’s hot meals to go; ask what’s on the menu. Check out our library for a good book, DVD or puzzle. Looking for a handmade gift for someone special; our best kept secret Gift Shop is waiting for you. Become a member and participate in the many activities available. Chase those winter blues away at the Comox Seniors’ Centre.

March 2022 will mark two years since Public Health Orders to support our communities came into force in BC. Two years in and a ways to go yet; people are feeling the stress and are getting worn. Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health https://camh.ca/ has suggestions to help. The website provides greater detail, but here are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with pandemic stress and worry. – Accept that some anxiety and fear is normal. – Bring an intentional mindset to unplugging. – Deal with problems in a structured way. – Remember that you are resilient and be careful with the “What ifs”. – Challenge worries and anxious thoughts. – Decrease other stress. – Practice relaxation and meditation. – Seek support. – Be kind to yourself. – Eat healthily. – Avoid substance use – including smoking, vaping and alcohol. – Moderate caffeine intake. – Get proper rest and sleep. – Stay active.

The vital component of most of our programs at Comox Valley Senior Support Society are volunteers! While staff coordinate the pieces to make programs work, it is our incredible volunteers who venture into the community and provide the supports many of our clients depend upon. Volunteering at Comox Valley Senior Support can range from a weekly phone call or in person visit to grocery shopping or assisting seniors to fill out forms and find resources. Volunteers are provided with training and support and opportunities for ongoing education. As our volunteers retire, we need to replace them! If you have an interest in supporting seniors in your community, please contact the office at admin@comoxvalleyseniorsupprt.ca or 250-871-5940 to find out more.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, often goes unrecognized and untreated because there are no symptoms. Your pharmacist can help you reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke by: 1. Reviewing your medications, helping you take them as prescribed and managing potential side effects. 2. Testing your blood pressure at the pharmacy and training you on proper use of an at-home BP monitor. 3. Advising you how to maintain a healthy weight and a diet that’s low in sodium. and 4. Guiding you through a step-by-step quit-smoking plan. Learn more about how to maintain your best heart health by speaking with your Medicine Shoppe pharmacist.

Is it time to consider Independent/Assisted Living? Ask yourself these questions – Do I find that I am often alone? Do I feel less safe in my home than I used to? Are housekeeping chores not as easy as they use to be? Am I caring for a spouse and having difficulties? Am I eating poorly? Have my eating habits changed? Do I worry about who will respond in case of an emergency? Have I mixed up medications? Would I be more comfortable if I had some supportive services available? If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, you may be ready. Consider your present quality of life…maybe now really is the right time for you.

TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, is caused by the erosion of the small disc that separates your jaw bones. This can occur with overuse (often from teeth grinding) or shifting resulting from conditions like arthritis or injury. Symptoms of TMD can be quite painful and may include: clicking/popping sound or grating sensation when opening and closing your mouth or chewing; headaches and neck pain; and tenderness and pain around the jaw joint, ears, face, and temples. Your dentist can help diagnose and treat TMD, and may recommend a night guard to prevent teeth grinding, relaxation techniques, or a physiotherapist referral.