Tinnitus and the Hearing Aid Dispenser
Tinnitus is a common presentation in hearing healthcare, and supporting clients who experience it forms a recognised and routine part of the Hearing Aid Dispenser’s (HAD’s) professional role. In line with established standards of practice, HADs regularly assess, triage, and manage tinnitus-related concerns within their scope, ensuring that clients receive appropriate support, information, and onward referral when indicated.
Tinnitus and hearing loss frequently coexist, and HADs are well positioned to identify this relationship through comprehensive assessment and client-centred care. A key area of professional competence lies in the fitting, verification, and optimisation of hearing aids. Consistent with evidence-based practice, appropriately fitted and managed hearing aids can play a significant role in reducing the functional impact of tinnitus for many clients, improving listening comfort, communication ability, and overall quality of life.
Recognising the importance of this work, and in support of ongoing professional development and high clinical standards, BSHAA has worked collaboratively with hearing aid manufacturers to collate practical, tinnitus-relevant fitting guidance. This resource brings together manufacturer-led recommendations to support HADs in optimising hearing aid settings for clients with tinnitus, complementing existing clinical judgement and ensuring care remains safe, effective, and within professional standards.
Hearing Aid Options
GN ReSound
ReSound Tinnitus Management TSG and Treatment Approaches
ReSound Tinnitus Management - patient's guide
ReSound Tinnitus Sound Generator White paper
ReSound Big Data and Sound Relief
Oticon
Oticon Tinnitus Management Handbook for Clinicians
Oticon Tinnitus Treatment - Patient education and counselling tool
Reduced tinnitus impact using Oticon hearing aids equipped with Tinnitus SoundSupport
Oticon Fitting Guide - Tinnitus
Oticon Fitting Checklist - Tinnitus SoundSupport
Oticon Guide - Tinnitus education for patients
Phonak
Phonak Tinnitus Balance
Signia
Signia Tinnitus Therapies
Starkey
Starkey Tinnitus Masking solutions using Multiflex Tinnitus
Widex
Widex Zen Therapy
Non - Hearing Aid Options
TinniSoothe
The BSHAA Education Working Group organised and recorded an "Introduction to TinniSoothe" webinar, with the company's founders Howard Presland and Jez Lawson. It was a very informative session, and we encourage you to watch the recording here. There are also a couple of generous offers at the very end, exclusive to BSHAA members.
TinniSoothe is a wearable sound therapy device that is highly configurable - and doesn't require anything to be worn in or behind the ears. It is designed to support both daytime and night-time relief from tinnitus and alleviate tinnitus-related distress. Howie and Jez cover how the product came about, its intended use, feedback received, independent research and their plans for the future.
There's also an overview and update on the clinical trial being run by the Combat Stress Centre for Applied Military Research, with UK veterans. Combat Stress, UK’s leading charity specialising in veterans’ mental health, has launched a clinical trial of the wearable tinnitus device from TinniSoothe. The study will assess whether the sound-therapy technology can ease tinnitus and improve well-being in veterans, 30% of whom are affected. More information.
BSHAA Tinnisoothe Introduction
Additional patient information on Tinnitus is available within Patient Resources