Tinnitus devices

Masker

Tinnitus maskers produce a sound which should mask the tinnitus. The sound is designed to be more acceptable to the patient than the tinnitus. As described above, a major disadvantage of masking is the prevention of habituation. One side effect that occurs in a small number of people who have tinnitus maskers is referred to as Residual Inhibition: after turning off the masker, the tinnitus remains inaudible for a period of time. For most people this lasts a very short time but for others it can last a considerable amount of time.

Hearing instruments

Hearing aids can help people having both tinnitus and hearing loss. Hearing aids can reduce tinnitus symptoms first by amplifying environmental sounds. This keeps the auditory system “busy” and distracts the central nervous system from the tinnitus. Second, hearing aids amplify enough background noise to partially mask tinnitus sounds for many people. Both effects support habituation of tinnitus.

Noiser/TRT-Instruments

For normal hearing patients, noiser/TRT-instruments are used in tinnitus retraining/habituation therapy settings. A noiser/TRT instrument delivers a soft, broadband signal comparable in level to the tinnitus and competing with the tinnitus thus distracting the patient from the tinnitus. Level and spectrum of the noise should be adjustable to the patient’s needs.

Tinnitus instruments

A Tinnitus Instrument is a combination of a hearing aid and a noiser in the same instrument. These instruments are appropriate for people with hearing loss who do not have significant relief from tinnitus using hearing instruments alone. There are many advantages to tinnitus instruments and they seem to have a higher level of success than either hearing aids or noisers alone.