Tinnitus Maskers – How To Mask Ringing In The Ears

There are a number of tinnitus maskers which can help with reducing the overall volume and intensity of the sounds which are perceived by those who have this condition. The effectiveness of these maskers varies depending on the noise which is used as a masking agent as well as the severity of the tinnitus. It can be incredibly difficult for people with tinnitus to get to sleep at night, which is why these maskers can be so useful.

How Maskers Work

There are masking devices specifically for those who have tinnitus and they are often times prescribed by doctors to patients which do not have significant hearing loss. Instead of amplifying sound like a hearing aid, these maskers produce a sound which is sometimes able to mask a person’s tinnitus. These sounds operate on a very specific frequency or wavelength which is able to effectively cancel out any noises that the person typically hears because of the tinnitus.

In recent years, tinnitus maskers have been made so that the frequency can be adjusted to that of the tinnitus. This makes it easier for those who have this condition to get relief by producing a more relaxing neutral sound that is able to cover up or mask the tinnitus completely. One of the pleasant side-effects of using tinnitus maskers involves a reduced intensity level with regards to the tinnitus. This side-effect is known as residual inhibition.

Hearing aids

Those who have hearing loss can obviously benefit from hearing aids, though people who have tinnitus have claimed that it has gotten better by using one of these. Tinnitus is often times closely associated with hearing loss because of the fact that noise damage is one of the most common underlying causes. The amplification which these hearing aids are able to produce increase neutral sound activity and therefore are able to reduce the brain’s sensitivity in detecting certain noises.

Tinnitus Instruments

Certain instruments which are a combination of maskers and hearing aids are prescribed to those who have tinnitus as well as hearing loss. A vast majority of the people who are prescribed these tinnitus instruments usually do not have any success with using a hearing aid alone. Those who use a hearing aid to reduce the sound of their tinnitus may find it difficult to sleep at night if they do not want to keep it in. This is one of the inherent problems associated with relying on a certain method of masking tinnitus.

White Noise

In the battle of masking tinnitus, white noise can be an invaluable weapon. There are certain white or pink noise machines as well as CDs which tinnitus sufferers can purchase in order to reduce how noticeable their tinnitus is. Some of the sounds which are produced by these machines include waves crashing against a beach, sounds of the rainforest, storms, running water, and many more. These sounds tend to be very neutral and therefore good for people who have tinnitus.

Tinnitus Masking Devices

There are various masking devices which people who have tinnitus can purchase. One such device includes a pillow with built-in speakers which produce low neutral relaxing sounds which one can use to block out their tinnitus without disturbing the person next to them. The primary goal of these devices is to amplify ambient sound and to create a more relaxing environment for the person to sleep in. Some of these masking devices have adjustable settings for frequency so that the person using it can get it just right.

Masking devices play a vital role in a process which is known as “habituation” which is the basis of tinnitus retraining therapy. It can help someone with tinnitus to block out signals which they learn to perceive as insignificant. Those who use masking devices long enough might find that their awareness of the tinnitus becomes substantially lessened over time.