In the search for tinnitus relief, many tinnitus sufferers are employing masking devices. The idea behind maskers is to stymie the sounds inherent in tinnitus in order that people can have some interference between them and the phantom noises.
Even though tinnitus masking is used quite a bit, it is still often misunderstood. People that suffer from tinnitus need to take the time to see what tinnitus masking is, how it works, and if it is effective.
A masking device can be small enough to fit inside an ear. Some people are required to get a masker which includes a hearing aid, while some are able to simply use a masker.
First, let s consider those that use a masker and don t have hearing problems.
The people that need to use a masker without hearing problems use the masker as a way to hear soothing noises instead of the noises of tinnitus. The point is to fool the brain. By employing a soothing sound as an alternative to tinnitus sounds, the thought is that the wearer can shut off tinnitus.
For most people, this does help. They are granted some measure of relief due to the masking. They may have the sounds of rain or another soothing sound motif and those aid them in controlling tinnitus.
Now let’s look at people who wear maskers and hearing aids in one. The reason that some people choose a hearing aid and masker is straightforward. Whenever someone has hearing issues, they often cannot hear the frequency of the masker. This means that the soothing noises provide no benefit to them.
It is frequently the case that hearing loss sufferers are required to get a hearing aid before a masker can be of use to them. At that point, they are able to reap the benefits of wearing a masker.
Tests are run to establish a person’s response to a masker. In most cases, people are stood next to a sink with running water. If water sounds soothe them while reducing tinnitus, they will probably do well with masking. If they have no changes, there are two things which could be the problem. One, they might not benefit from masking at all, or two, they might have hearing problems that need to be addressed. After the hearing problems are addressed, they can then benefit from masking.
Some people use a tinnitus masker device all of the time, while others only use it when they need to concentrate or rest. Because the device is not implanted, it may be removed, and turned off at will. That gives people some freedom to do what they want in regards to using the device.
Maskers are not one size fits all devices. Tinnitus comes in different frequencies, and people have different problem areas. As such, a masking device may soothe the first person and frustrate another. It depends on their individual symptoms. It also depends on the severity of their tinnitus.
This is not a cure for tinnitus, but it has given many people relief. People that need a distraction can use tinnitus maskers in order to hear soothing noises instead of the shrill phantom noises that are in their heads. While it does not work for everyone, it has made many people feel much better.
Mail this post
