April 25, 2009 | A new kind of hearing aid from Siemens can greatly improve the quality of life of tinnitus patients. The device, which is part of the Life series, doesn’t only function as a conventional hearing aid; it also can be used to mask unpleasant sounds that originate within the ear. The product’s special therapeutic sound helps tinnitus patients to better cope with their condition. Siemens is the world’s first manufacturer to offer a hearing aid that includes an integrated tinnitus noiser. The sounds perceived by people who suffer from tinnitus (the Latin term for “ringing”) do not come from an external source; they are created inside the head. The continuous noise is often perceived as whistling, ringing, rushing, or humming sounds. The causes are very varied and haven’t yet been fully researched. One noteworthy factor, however, is that more than half of tinnitus patients also suffer from some degree of hearing loss. In such cases, researchers often speak of “phantom ear-pain.” They assume that the brain interprets misrouted nerve activity in the ear’s auditory system as noise. The misrouted nerve activity is thought to be caused by damage to the sufferer’s sense of hearing.