Tinnitus Masking

An article by Adrian Featherstone.

Those of us that suffer with the intrusion of tinnitus sound in our ears will know that the condition is at its worst when there is no other external noise to dilute that sound. It is at these times that tinnitus masking can be extremely effective.

It almost goes without saying then that one of the times tinnitus sound is most intrusive is during the night when you are trying to sleep. With nothing else to divert attention from the noise within, it appears to become louder. The louder it gets the more focus it demands. This can easily become a very distressing and vicious cycle.

Particularly for use during the night, although by no means limited to that, tinnitus masking is a powerful tool. The concept of tinnitus masking is a simple one. Tinnitus maskers take advantage of the fact that tinnitus exerts itself most strongly during periods of relative silence by filling that silence with therapeutic sound. Now with a sound that the brain recognises as being friendly to switch its attention to, the tinnitus sound recedes into the background.

Tinnitus masking is not a new concept. Tinnitus maskers first appeared in general use during the 1970’s and have been constantly refined and updated ever since. They are now available in a variety of formats ranging from devices fitted directly into the ear, through to what effectively amount to sound systems to fill a room with a therapeutic sound experience.

The smallest of these tinnitus maskers has the appearance of an earplug and is fitted in much the same fashion. From this little device a gentle rushing noise is delivered directly into the ear throughout the day at a level comparable with the sufferer’s tinnitus. Subconsciously recognised by the brain as being “friendly fire”, this pleasant sound diverts attention away from the unwanted tinnitus. Many people find that over a period of time their tinnitus sounds become almost forgotten and cease to be problematical as a result of this form of tinnitus masking.

Using the same concept tinnitus masking can be delivered from many forms of audio device. For those finding it difficult to sleep there are even tinnitus masking pillows available which have speakers embedded within them. These are ideal where a partner might otherwise be disturbed by the masking sounds. Where that is not a problem bedside sound systems can deliver natural sounds such as that of rainfall, ocean waves, a babbling brook or even birdsong. These can create the perfect relaxing environment for sleep while masking the tinnitus.

Whilst you may have to experiment to find the sound that best works for you, tinnitus masking by listening to relaxing sounds really is a great help for any tinnitus sufferer.

More articles by Adrian Featherstone:

• What Causes Ringing in the Ears.  What causes the ringing in the ears that we universally call tinnitus?
• Much Needed Tinnitus Relief.  Living a normal life with the sounds of tinnitus constantly ringing in your ears would seem an impossibility to most tinnitus sufferers.
• Tinnitus Cures That Might Work For You. With the realisation that the noises you are hearing in your ears or in your head are not going to go away comes the journey to either eliminate them or to learn to live with them.
• Alternative Tinnitus Treatment.  Most people who have found that they are living with the ringing in the ears which characterises the sounds of tinnitus will have been told by their medical practitioner that there is no known tinnitus cure.
• Subjective and Objective Tinnitus.  The sounds of tinnitus that will be so well known to those living with this condition are variously described as ringing in the ears, hissing,whistling or buzzing.
• Symptoms of Tinnitus.  Millions of people around the globe experience the symptoms of tinnitus. The ringing in the ears which characterises this complaint is especially common in the towns and cities of the industrialised western world.
• Symptoms For Tinnitus.  Ringing in the ear is one of the primary symptoms of tinnitus. Tinnitus being a condition which commonly affects about a fifth of the population aged 55 or over.
• What Causes Tinnitus.  There will be few people who have gone to a discotheque or to a live band concert who will not have experienced the sounds of tinnitus.
• Finding Your Own Tinnitus Relief.  Only those of us who have lived with the sounds of tinnitus singing away in our consciousness and who have suffered the constant ringing in the ears that goes with it truly understand the trauma tinnitus creates.
• The Early Days of Your Tinnitus. Whether they realise it or not most people have heard the sounds of tinnitus. After exposure to any very loud noise we all have a ringing in the ear to some degree. 
• Tinnitus Hypnosis.The use of Tinnitus Hypnosis and Tinnitus Hypnotherapy in the battle to clear tinnitus symptoms has long been recognised...
• The Effects of Tinnitus. Tinnitus is widely described as a condition
  in which a person hears noises where no corresponding external noise exists.
• Beginning the Search for a Tinnitus Cure. If you were able to ask a large group of sufferers who were looking for a tinnitus cure to describe the arrival of a tinnitus sound in their lives, a great many of them would tell you a remarkably similar story.
• Do Any Tinnitus Remedies Actually work?  Anybody who has had the misfortune to find themselves living with tinnitus will be only too well aware of the frustration that this debilitating condition can cause the sufferer.
• In Puruit Of A Tinnitus Cure. Realising that the noise in your ears just isn’t going away can initiate a sense of panic and stress into even the most stoic of us. The diagnosis of tinnitus that so often follows this realisation only serves  to compound the problem still further.  
• Turn Down Those Tinnitus Sounds. The volume of your Tinnitus Sounds will almost certainly relate closely to your state of mind. When we are feeling down and out of sorts, when we feel depressed and moody we become very inward looking. Of course for the tinnitus sufferer, waiting for them inside their head there are always those tinnitus sounds.
• Sleeping With Tinnitus Sounds. We all feel somewhat jaded when we fail to get a good night’s sleep. It seems that while we sleep our bodies recharge themselves and our minds are refreshed. When we are deprived of that resting period our energy levels and ability to get the most out of the day becomes diluted
• Tinnitus Sound and Stress. Stress has long been recognised as being a major player in both the cause and subsequent intensity of tinnitus sound.