How to Mask Ultra High-Frequency Tinnitus?

I've been using Widex hearing aids with their highest pitch white noise for a few months. I find that it doesn't really mask anything at all, it just adds more noise to my existing sound(s).

I know maskers aren't supposed to cover the sound entirely but it would be nice if it did just a little and maybe blend it in with some lower tones.

So my question is for the ultra high pitched tinnitus folks, does anyone use maskers effectively with >12 kHz tinnitus sounds?

 

HI @AfroSnowman

Try to keep the volume of your Widex white noise below the level of your tinnitus and don't try to mask it. Masking or covering-up tinnitus is not advised by Audiologists/Hearing Therapists, as you risk irritating your ears and auditory system, and likely to make it worse due to oversensitivity. You are doing the right thing by using your hearing aids which will supply additional sounds to your brain from the outside environment. Over time the tinnitus will reduce as you habituate and also helped by adjusting the volume of the Widex masker/white noise below the level of the tinnitus.

Please click on the link below and read my post: Should I mask my tinnitus as you might find it helpful.
All the best

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/should-i-mask-my-tinnitus.17964/

 

Have you tried this? Second slider from the bottom seems to work somewhat for me, as in the blending you describe. I play it on my smartphone, not through earbuds because it's easy to accidentally raise the volume with the sliders.

https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/ultrasonicNoiseGenerator.php

 

The problem is that if I am having a high day it doesn’t cover it at all. No matter how high I turn it up the sounds don’t overlap so I am just really stuck with the 100% sensation of my tinnitus that I can then hear the masking under; just extra noise in an already noisy day. I think my issue is a lack of overlap between the two sound classes.

 

I can’t make it overlap my sound but it is an awesome app. I think it’s my new favorite. Thanks for the tip.

 

It does depend on the ability of the device to play high-frequency content so you may have to test on different devices.

There's a whole array of sound generators. I like that it has sliders to suit your pitch.

I don't really mask or overlap either as it would mean having to put it too loud, but having this on, and occupying my mind with something else works best. A multifaceted approach if you will.

 

Do you have bluetooth connectivity with an iPhone? I have that on my Signia 7nx hearing aids. There is an app called MyNoise that I can use to play the rain sound which is a nice alternative to the built in maskers.

 

Try not to turn the white noise up too loud even though the tinnitus is louder and doesn't mask it. The reason I say this is because the white noise is competing with the tinnitus even though it is set lower. This can induce stress as you are hearing both the white noise and the tinnitus at a high level, plus you have hearing aids incorporated into the Widex device. These are known as dual purpose units.

Sometimes, people with hearing loss as in your case are better off just using the hearing aids and Turning off the white noise for a while and see how they get on. Hearing loss can cause tinnitus but once hearing aid/s are fitted they supply additional sounds from the outside environment so the brain no longer has to increase its internal volume. Over time the brain turns down its internal gain (volume control) at the same time reducing the tinnitus - so white noise is not always needed. Try not using the white noise for a while or turning it down to a very low level so it's not competing with the tinnitus.

Michael

 

Lately I have been using the Zen Tinnitus app by Widex and using the tropical night sound profile.

It doesn’t mask my tinnitus but it mixes with it and helps break it up.

 

Funny... this is the one I'm listening to right now; "Starry Night" being current fave.

 

Yes I do. I sometimes use those other sounds but it is kind of a shrug. It is better than a dead silent room, but for what ever reason it doesn't really offer me much relief.

 

About a year ago I spent a week trekking in the Sumatran rainforest. I had the most remarkable trouble telling where my head ended and the rainforest noise started. It was quite a relief.

 

When my tinnitus is at its worst I fantasize about moving to the rainforest.

 

Hi,

The only thing that can mask mine is the whine/buzz/hum of my dining chandelier dimmer switch. It sounds exactly like my tinnitus. I would think it would sound like my son's high pitched scream which is what caused it in the first place. Sometimes I think it's my tinnitus sounding very loud, then I go and switch off the dimmer and viola! it sounds much quieter!

 

Personally -
I always have some type of masking going on whenever it’s feasible.
I can hear my tinnitus pretty well even in the shower and almost always outdoors also.

I understand the whole concept of distraction - don’t cover up.
I’m sure most people do.

But sometimes I just desperately need to mask the ringing as much as possible for a bit.

I think that’s what people are referring to mostly.

The times when we need a break and we are not much concerned about the suggestions of an audiologist who does not have this affliction.

“Never attempt to completely cover-up your tinnitus - your will never adapt to your condition if you do“.

Seriously?

More often than not I more concerned about just getting a couple hours of something that can actually be referred to as sleep.

“Well - if you were not always attempting to completely mask the ringing -
maybe you would have adapted by now and you would be able to get some sleep”.

We can go around and around with this.

If people are inquiring about how they can completely mask their tinnitus -
It’s probably for a damn good reason.

The very last thing they need at that particular point is to be told is that it’s not right to do so just because of an opinion that it could possibly interfere with their chances for habituation at some point in the future.

You have to try to listen where people are coming from around here sometimes.

 

Yeah that's BS. I'm pretty sure once people make an appointment about their tinnitus, and their tinnitus is clinically significant and distressing enough to warrant this, then it won't be as easily masked as the tinnitus most people have where they only hear it when going to sleep.

I once took part in an informational session at the hospital and it was purely habituation-oriented with all the TRT-nonsense being fired at us a'd how volume doesn't matter and how you shouldn't mask. Then one guy asked whether he should put in earplugs in order to be able to hear his tinnitus in places where he couldn't in order to habituate

That took aback the medical professional leading the session. Sure enough, she regrouped and pops out the decibel chart with harmful noise levels and preaches it like it's the word of God and tells how you should not protect under these levels and always above when the duration is long enough.

So this guy with a new case of pretty mild tinnitus is still looking confused because his question has been sidelined. I'm pretty sure he expected habituation to be the same as the tinnitus actually being gone.

That's when you know you are being conned by the medical world. It doesn't take long to realise you're bumping up against the boundaries of their knowledge when it comes to tinnitus.

 

Since my high-pitched tinnitus is impossible to mask, I try to find sounds of lower frequency to trick myself into hearing a "cohesive" stage of sound where my tinnitus is just the top layer. Two years in, I find it increasingly easier to just listen to it as long as I'm focusing on something and have my fridge or other sounds close to me. I can still have good days even if my tinnitus is loud, unless it reaches a certain point of intensity

 

I'm wondering if I should try wearable white noise generators (WNGs) to help mask my high-frequency tinnitus. My tinnitus is annoying because it's so high-pitched, even though the volume is actually pretty mild (in my opinion). Just the slightest bit of high-frequency white noise seems like it would do wonders.

Has anyone here tried wearable WNGs for masking high-frequency tinnitus?

 

Yes, I have >12 kHz (high-frequency) tinnitus in one ear. I sometimes wear maskers and they do take the edge off. The problem is the frequency of the tinnitus is a little bit above the masker's range. I'm thinking a quality pair of earbuds and one of the many tinnitus apps available could pretty much accomplish the same thing as the maskers for quite a bit less money.

This is not an endorsement but lately I've been using a free app called myNoise with the setting 'Rain Noise'. It has an EQ built-in so I can jack up the higher frequency bands and cut everything else. It works very well. If only there was a way to program this same sound into my maskers...

When my tinnitus is not so loud or when my ears get tired of the masking sound I give the masking a break. Really, I don't ever try to mask out the tinnitus entirely. I drop volume just enough so I can still hear the tinnitus just a little bit. This is my condensed version of 'TRT'. So, some days more volume, some days less, and believe me the volume of my tinnitus fluctuates widely day-to-day.

 

I think there are hearing aids / maskers which can play custom sounds, e.g. a sound that you upload to the device. This might allow you to play the rain noise through your maskers.

I've decided I will try using wearable maskers, as I find white noise to be very helpful, and if I can make that portable, it seems like it will be transformational. I'll report here after I get some results.

 

An update on my use of in-ear maskers. They definitely help.

I took some measurements of the sound output, and they're able to play at decent loudness up to 10 kHz and 11 kHz, approaching 12 kHz. At 13 kHz and beyond there is essentially no output. But I'm definitely getting some help from these.

FWIW the model I'm using is the Phonak Audeo. I also tested a Widex model, and it couldn't reach frequencies as high as the Phonak.

 

I just got, and am currently testing, Signia pure 312 x hearing aids. According to my audiologist these go up to 12,000 Hz frequency.

 

This is very true in my situation. It's reassuring to read this in black-and-white.
As a result, I'm looking for a hearing aid that can provide the maximum amplification possible of natural sound (amplify no noise in a quiet room) instead of white noise.

There are so many to chose from and test out, it's overwhelming. Plus, my audiologist claims she doesn't just hook up the strongest hearing aid, it has to be programmed to my specific hearing loss... or else everyone would just get the maximum and there wouldn't be a need for audiologists.

 

So just a small update. I’ve come across some rather strange tinnitus “masking” videos on YouTube. If you search “The Calming Sound Factory,” they have 2 videos. The important part to note is if you have any physical sensation of your tinnitus as I do, these videos suppress that! That is easily one of the most unnerving qualities of my tinnitus. In addition I’m not experiencing any reactivity as I’m guessing the frequency may “cancel” out mine or be causing some level of residual inhibition.

Anyway, if you are experiencing high frequency, difficult-to-mask tinnitus, you may want to check these out. They seem like they can provide at least short term relief.

 

Thank you so much for the recommendation, I just tried them and they definitely help!

I also have the physical vibrations that I feel all over my head.

Have you found anything that works for you to use while sleeping?

Best wishes!

 

Hey, so it does depend. Sometimes I can leave on some very low-level cricket noises or high-frequency pitch noise (you can YouTube your frequency by typing in 12 kHz tinnitus as an example) and I can let that play in the background to partially mask my tinnitus, and sometimes cancel it out in my perception.

 

Hey @DebInAustralia, I believe your central tone is a hissing, correct? Have you tried the above?

 

I'm glad you found something that's helping a bit! Since your tinnitus is so similar to mine, maybe these will help me out too. I did a search for the channel and saw they have 24 videos, but I'm a little apprehensive these days about playing sound masking videos since so many seem to only aggravate my reactive tinnitus. Which ones in particular work best for you?

 

@Mumbo, I hear you. These were the first 2 videos that didn’t cause me much reaction so if you get a chance, you should definitely check them out. Just look for “Tinnitus Relief Sound Therapy” and “Tinnitus Blocker Sound” as the titles of the videos in their playlist.

 

Hey lovely,

I am sorry. I only just noticed your message now.

I experience residual inhibition, but nothing to write home about.

Does anyone have head noise, that sometimes sits in the head, and on bad days, it spreads to the ears, so that it seems my entire head is encapsulated by hissing.

I wish i understood why this is so?

The only component of this cacophony of noise/s I can temporarily modulate (partly) is the peripheral hissing.

Why does the noise spread to the ears? Is this inflammation? Help!