At Broadmead Hearing Clinic, we recently read an article in the Canadian Audiologist journal written by Dr. Marc Fagelson who discussed the impact of PTSD on the auditory system and the benefits of hearing aids for clients with PTSD. We summarized it below.
Patients with PTSD are more likely to have an exaggerated startle response to loud sounds, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. Exposure to damaging sound levels is often associated with traumatic events for those who serve or have served in the military (e.g. gunfire, explosive devices). However, similar noise levels may also affect civilians who have been in motor vehicle accidents or other traumatic events. Patients with PTSD often misidentify environmental sounds as threatening sounds. For example, a patient with PTSD may startle or become physically upset in response to an innocuous sound like someone dropping a fork on the ground. This is a form of hyperacusis. Hearing aids help with this startle response by improving the audibility of soft environmental sounds to reduce the signal to noise ratio for sudden impulse sounds.
Patients with PTSD often develop tinnitus in addition to hearing loss during or after the traumatic event. The effects of tinnitus and PTSD may be mutually reinforcing because patients with tinnitus often rate PTSD as more severe than those without tinnitus and vice versa. Hearing aids are beneficial for treating tinnitus and PTSD because the audibility of speech sounds is improved which facilitates ease of communication and alleviates stress. Furthermore, the improved audibility of ambient sounds will help the patient habituate to their tinnitus so that they become less aware of their tinnitus when wearing their hearing aids. Finally, hearing aids can increase the patient’s sense of security as certain sounds can be detected more easily and more accurately in their environment.
Audiologists have much to offer patients dealing with PTSD, hearing loss and tinnitus. We can help you obtain the support you need and provide you with resources to manage your hearing loss, PTSD, and tinnitus.