Help with Masking

Hi all.

Quick back story. Had t for a couple of weeks. Freaking out....Then happy again...Then freaking out....we've all been there. I think I could beat this if.....

I've always used white noise (a fan), for years, I just like it. Indeed it was a recent night when I thought my fan was making an odd noise I turned it off and realized I had t.

my t is mainly dull lowish tone with a very faint high pitch screech (think am radio or tv interference)....but I have to really listen for that.

Problem I have is every electronic device I now use I can hear that high pitched noise. This includes any white noise apps, fan, shower, etc etc.

Went for my ears checked today. The audio nurse said it was the best test she had ever seen.

So this what I think might be happening...I have slight t. My anxiety is up. The area of my brain that looks for sounds is turned to max....and I find odd noises in everything!!!!

I know I need to slowly hab to this, but, in the meantime anyone any suggestions about sound masking.....I want my fan back. I know it sounds like bargaining, but if I had my fan I could sleep better, then I could beat this thing quickly!!

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Ps the sound will go as soon as I turn the devise off....this includes the radio and gaps between songs or even verus!

 

Try download this sound generator for free - aire freshener, many sounds to choose from.

http://www.peterhirschberg.com/mysoftware.html

TT also has nice masking sounds here:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

Try some relaxing things to do to reduce stress and anxiety, thing like leisure walk, mindfulness meditation, enjoying hobbies, etc. Stress and anxiety are bad for T.

 

Hi.

Thanks for the reply. However, it's not that I don't have any good masked apps (wind, rain, a stream, crickets, white noise, Brown noise, pink noise etc etc) it's that no matter what I do I hear a high pitch ring over them, like my ears are too sensitive.

I don't think it's my t as it doesn't sound like it

Anyone come across this?

Ps I was good last night and just let off these sounds whether my t, fan whatever, just wash over me. didnt help with sleep but I wasn't as stresses as I have been still woke up nervous though.....guess it's all part of adapting

 

Hi,

It may be that the masking you have and the equipment you're using just doesn't reproduce the frequencies that your T is at. you probably need something that is producing a nice sound across all the frequency range and that you can hear fully.

What listening equipment are you using?

 

Well...I use a fan and then a phone app....but the same happens when in the bathroom (extractor fan and shower) or the radio. And again, this noise that I hear does not sound like my normal t

 

It sounds a little like something I have, not sure why but I can't use fans any more as this high pitch tone just jumps up. Not sure if it's a standing wave amplifying something in the room and irritating my ears or if it's a lack of high frequency content and my brain trying to make up for it (or something completely different).

I have a few files that are useful for high frequency masking - to have playing at a reasonable level in the background when you want to be concentrating on something else other than your T, or when a fan or other thing is on. Does this video work?

Bell melody for tinnitus - random background noise

 

Thanks for the advice. Was having such a good day with it then sat watchingtv this really really really high pitch (dog whistle) started. Thinkb it will go away.....

 

I used to be able to hear the high frequency whine from older equipment, TV's were terrible for me (the old CRT ones), I have had to leaves stores in the past because of the noise. I reckon my hearing has been lowered enough now through natural ageing not to be bothered by it - topping out at 13-14KHz depending on the volume level.

 

It's more of a feeling then a sound.It's scary too as its something that I cant seem to mask like my other t....Was having a good day as well!!!!

I'm sure it will go though.....thinking positive

 

My experience is that it will go away, sounds very much like a temporary thing, almost like a fleeting tinnitus and it could be stress related if you are associating it with certain situations and sounds. Happens to a lot of us unfortunately.

 

I like this sound, it helps with my really high tones, it doesn't cover my tinnitus completely but it does seem to turn what's left of my tinnitus that I can hear over the bells into kind of a white noise static sound which really isn't that bothersome. Nice!

Do you have a headphone recommendation? Something I could wear that is comfortable for hours on end while out doing things. I don't know, maybe something wireless?

What is the best way to make these sounds portable without relaying on data or wifi?

Im kind of new to masking, I really haven't experimented with it all that much. White noise kind of turned me off but these bells sounds seem be somewhat helpful.

Any help here would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Hi Telis,

I stay away from in-ear things and closed back headphones. They both feel wrong to my ears in their own way. A good pair of open back headphones are my recommendation, they don't really block outside sound so aren't good for outdoors but the fact that you can still hear other things feels more natural to me and doesn't annoy my T.

At the moment my two main pairs are Sennheiser HD595 (don't think they make then any more) and AKG K702 (mainly for mixing). Also have some Grado SR80i, which are good for iPods and portable devices as they don't need much power to drive them. The Sennheiser are good for general listening, for my ears anyway, best bet is to try a few pairs of quality headphones with relatively flat frequency response to find ones you like.

I can send the MP3 of any audio files I have, that bell one and any of the others you see on the same channel on YouTube. Just let me know. I made the bell one for my high frequency reactive T, it seems to stop it from jumping up.

 

Yeah I will have to try some open back headphones, maybe I can run something while watching TV that way. I don't suppose you have any suggestions for background sounds to listen to while watching TV? I guess I could try the bell one out.

If you could send me the bell file that you made that would be great, it's one of the few that seem to help. My T is reactive so most masking sounds seem to just compete. Things like white noise just get taken over in about 20 minutes and also leave my ears sore and tired.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

@Telis
For TV masking I use this : http://religion.ambient-mixer.com/buddhist-temple
I customize it so I only have three sounds running (all else is muted)---(so the sounds that are there when you click on the link are just default. You need to customize the channels...

The three sounds I use are: Nature---Water---Rivers and Streams---Small Stream
Effects---Bells & Chimes---wind chimes stereo
and: Nature---Animals---Insects---crickets ambience

It covers up high frequency T very well. When I run it on my lap top next to my TV it covers up the annoying high sounds. Check it out and I really hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Hi @Burnsie, maybe I am oversimplifying. But why don't you just start sleeping with a fan again? I have slept with a fan, on and off, since college. If you put it on low and set the fan across the room, it's not loud at all.

For me, a fan is a comfort sound. As is the slight puff of air it generates. It's like a lullaby. It relaxes me. I even travel with a small fan. A fan on a noise app is not the same, although I now also use an app with a Sound Pillow (a godsend) since T.

If you need more sound than the fan for masking, add the Sound Pillow. You don't need to buy their noise maker, just go with a smart phone white noise app. I use TMSoft, available thru iPhones. Pillow is at sound pillow.com. Well worth the small investment in my opinion.

Oops, it appears reading back that you may be using a fan? If so, would still try the pillow. Good luck.

 

Thx a lot man. I will give it a run tonight and let you know.

 

Hi @Burnsie I have a air purifier that make a white noise sound. When I turn it on I sometime get a ring in my left ear so I have to shut it off. My T is on my right side. Don't know why this happens.???

Hi Steve. When I use ear plugs My T gets louder. I guess this is normal. You said you stay away from in-ear things . Do you use ear plugs? Thanks.

 

@SoulStation i downloaded the app, tried your suggestion, worked really well, especially with headphones. I think the chimes really make make a difference, kind of keeps my brain guessing. Pretty cool app, even the free version seems pretty good.

Thx again

 

Very rarely indeed, only if I absolutely need them. I'm a fairly light sleeper so I wish I could wear them but if I do it just makes my T jump up, same as you.

@Telis I'll PM the files.

 

I'm really happy it helped- you're very welcome.

 

My weird right ear hiss is intermittent and can sound like a morse code hiss which sucks but it is fairly low. Most times I just hear the odd hiss sound that lets me know it's there. In early 2015 the hiss started to react to air conditioner noises, fans etc. by ramping up the volume and sounding like a real loud hiss going in and out, very annoying. One day I just laid my head back and said to myself - F**k it, I don't hear these super loud hisses when the fan isn't on so I know it's just some weird reaction and I'm just going to let it wash over me, do what thou wilst T!!!! And since then, it has gotten better (worse when I look for it as I feel like when I search for it I open a door and it comes right through). I still feel nervous when I sit around an air conditioner or fan because I'm hoping my ear will not act up but I think mentally letting go is a very powerful strategy. And, there's not much else we can do is there?

 

@Constable85 It is a tough one, I think your approach can work for many, and I have to wonder at myself how much of the reactive T is me playing my part, consciously or not. Us human beings are strange things, we can make a neural connection to something that causes us harm and distress (my T is louder, it's getting louder, that noise hurts etc) but it seems that breaking that connection is a very long road, with many twists and turns.