Tinnitus Maskers: What Are They And Do They Work?

Tinnitus maskers are often used to help make the condition more manageable. For those who suffer from a constant ringing in the ears, it can often be hard to concentrate, to hear, and to fall asleep at night. The principle behind maskers is simply to drown out the sound to help you forget about the ringing. White Noise Some of the most popular tinnitus maskers are able to produce white noise. This is the same sound that your radio makes when it isn’t tuned into a particular station, and can help to take your mind off the ringing. A number of specific maskers have been produced for tinnitus sufferers, including generators that can be worn inside the ear (much like a hearing aid), and those that can be played through speakers under a pillow at night. Other Types of Sound Maskers In reality, people use all kinds of techniques to mask the sound of their tinnitus. For example, you might like the low noise of a fan in the background, or to keep the TV or radio on all day. Anything that creates background sound can help to take the focus away from the ringing in your ears. Sound maskers can make use of both artificial and natural sounds depending on the preference of the person using them. Hearing Aids In some cases, masking might not be effective if the device used to mask can’t be heard properly. If tinnitus is experienced alongside hearing loss then wearing a hearing aid can often help to relieve the symptoms, as other external noises become louder than the tinnitus. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Tinnitus maskers are also used as part of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) but at a lower level. The aim behind this treatment is for the brain to eventually learn to tune out the noise, just as it does with the kinds of external sounds that we all hear in our everyday lives: a process known as “habituation”. This kind of therapy is performed by trained professionals at the same time as counseling to help patients deal with the negative association that they may have with the ringing sounds. The Success of Tinnitus Maskers Unfortunately, sound masking doesn’t work with all types of tinnitus. The severity and nature of the condition ranges from person to person. In some cases, switching off the masker can also lead to the sound coming back worse than it was before. For this reason, many people choose to combine tinnitus maskers