Tabletop Fountain for Masking Tinnitus While Working

Hi folks,

I have a high frequency tinnitus which is extremely annoying, but which is masked very effectively by even a slight running water (e.g., a barely running faucet).

Given the above, in order to help my ability to concentrate at work, I am considering getting a small tabletop fountain, e.g., like the one pictured below.

I wanted to ask: has anyone tried masking with a tabletop fountain? If so, was it at all effective? For example, does the fountain generate any appreciable amount of water noise, or is it so faint as to be barely audible (and thus not at all effective)? I'd love to hear about any and all experience you've had!

 

This is a great idea, I thought about getting one myself. I would actually get something that is quiet enough you can still hear your tinnitus, so you can practice habituation with it. I don't think masking all of your tinnitus is a good idea.

 

I love it.

My neighbor had a bigger one in her backyard, and I could hear it.

I listen to it for long periods of time. It helps me in a big way. At work I use a fan and radio. I think you will love that fountain.

My tinnitus is static, hiss, crickets.

 

Agreed, this is great. Once or if my reactivity shuts up I would love this at my work.

 

Tinnitus should not be masked, by this I mean it shouldn't be covered up with another sound so that it can't be heard. The more you continue to do this, the longer it will take you to habituate. The moment the masking sound is stopped or temporarily removed, the brain will immediately focus on the tinnitus and often it will appear to be louder and more intrusive. Therefore, using the table top fountain is not ideal as its volume cannot be adjusted. It is better to use a good quality sound machine and this is what Hearing Therapists and Audiologists practicing tinnitus and hyperacusis management, advice their tinnitus patients to use.

The volume of the sound machine can be adjusted and should be set slightly below the tinnitus not masking it. At night it should be placed by the bedside and set to play throughout the night until morning. Sound Oasis make many models for treating tinnitus and they can be connected to a pillow speaker. Model S-650 is popular.

I believe the best devices for treating tinnitus and hyperacusis are white noise generators. Ideally, they should be used with counselling but can used without. The volume of the white noise should not mask the tinnitus but set slightly below it. They take some time to get used to and should be gradually introduced to the auditory system, otherwise there is a risk of irritating the tinnitus and hyperacusis if it is present. I first used these devices 25 years ago as part of TRT and found them very effective in treating my tinnitus and curing my hyperacusis in two years. I still use them whenever I feel the need, more for sound enrichment as I have habituated to my tinnitus quite some time ago.

Michael

 

The problem is when you have reactive tinnitus, the above doesn't work. What ends up happening with the sound machines / white noise generators is that the tinnitus gets louder, therefore competing with & over topping the sound machine/white noise generators.

This is why reactive tinnitus is not maskable.

Since you say you have habituated to your tinnitus/hyperacusis, do you ever use a sound machine / white noise generator when sleeping or in a silent place?

 

I do not believe there is such a thing as reactive tinnitus. By this I mean I do not recognise it as a medical condition. Those that choose to believe in it that's their choice and will leave the matter there.

Tinnitus can react to sound. Most people that complain of this usually have noise induced tinnitus. Either they will have some oversensitivity to the auditory system or have full-blown hyperacusis which can be experienced in various degrees of severity. The belief that this oversensitivity cannot be treated is not true in my opinion. I have mentioned treatment using self help or seeking professional help in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it.

Nowhere have I said oversensitivity to sound or hyperacusis should be masked. It should not be masked. Using low level sound enrichment or setting white noise generators at a low level helps to desensitize the auditory system over time.

I don't have hyperacusis or an oversensitive auditory system and don't experience spikes. This was cured over 20 years ago using white noise generators as part of TRT. I always use a sound machine at night for low level sound enrichment. I do not wear my white noise generators at night. It is not a good idea for anyone with tinnitus to sleep in a quiet room, as this allows the brain to focus on internal sounds within the body and head, as there's no external sound to distract it. This can allow the brain to increase the tinnitus which can make it louder during waking hours.

The oversensitivity to sound that you have can be treated but will take time and require a lot of patience. If one doesn't have success with self help, my advice is to see an Audiologist or Hearing Therapist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment. An Audiologist that I correspond with, told me all her patients have been cured of hyperacusis within 18 months. She recommends regular counselling and wearing one white noise generator not two, as the brain has only one auditory centre. She goes on to say, the only people that do not do well are the ones that do not follow her treatment plan.

Counselling helps to remove and demystify the negative thinking that is often attached to tinnitus and hyperacusis. For this reason it is recommend when using white noise generators one should have regular counselling with a tinnitus therapist.

Michael

 

I use YouTube ASMR videos from time to time with nature sounds that help me. I imagine it would have the same effect but for free. Though the thought of having a physical fountain on my desk does seem appealing.

Edit: I just looked at this fountain on Amazon and it appears that some people have issues with the motor being too noisy and overpowering the water sound.

 

I was not suggesting to cover up my tinnitus completely. I was more characterizing the effectiveness of water sounds as a sound enrichment, by saying that "a slight faucet masks it completely."

Well, the volume of a fountain can be adjusted by moving it closer or farther away Though my real motivation for using a fountain is that natural water sounds are just nicer to listen to than electronic ones.

 

I agree with you that natural water sounds will sound better than electronic ones. When I'm by the sea here in Brighton, listening to the water lapping against the shore and seagulls squawking overhead, I'm completely immersed in sound enrichment whilst reading my book. The experience is pure bliss. I come home and listen to my Oasis sound machine playing ocean surf with seagulls and there's simply no comparison.

You make a very good point about adjusting the fountain to be closer or farther away which is something I never thought of, so I thank you for that. Considering everything you have said, I now think it's a good idea for you to try the fountain and please consider the white noise generators. One is all you need according to an Audiologist I know that practices tinnitus and hyperacusis management with tinnitus patients. Sometimes I use one white noise generator instead of two and have no problems.

Go for it Poseidon and hope you start to feel better soon.

Michael

 

Yes you have been consistent in saying you don't recognize reactive tinnitus as a medical condition. But it's definitely a subcategory of tinnitus because it has its own uniqueness that most tinnitus sufferers don't suffer with but small group of us for whatever reason do suffer with. One good example is making the TV louder. This only makes the tinnitus in my case louder in relation to the volume of the TV. There's a direct correlation there that exists. This is why I say (I wasn't implying you said it) that it's impossible to mask reactive tinnitus. Ergo the problem with finding the sweet spot you as well as audiologists keep mentioning & advising others to do with setting the sound generators or sound machine to just below the tinnitus level. Some also recommend that the sound should mix/blend with the sound of the tinnitus. That works great if your tinnitus does not react to sounds, hence stable tinnitus, not reactive tinnitus.

BTW, I have read many of your posts. Some a few times over. You have said you are 'cured' from your hyperacusis which took 2 to 3 years when you had TRT treatment 20 years ago. Did you notice any gradual changes over that period of time i.e. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 month's changes where your tinnitus was lowering and/or hyperacusis was less reactive to external sounds?

My audiologist is the only one who 'treats' tinnitus in my city with BTE sound generators using Pink Noise. He isn't TRT certified but is trying to replicate much of what you mention on here. I have one set of BTE sound generators, not two. But he programmed two different sounds I can toggle between back and forth. I had mentioned to him how making the volume louder with the sound generators makes my tinnitus louder. The analogy I used which he finally accepted & has even used himself now was that of adding more volume of water to a swimming pool with a beach ball on top only pushes the beach ball higher & higher to no end. Now he is letting me decide in the future whether we should raise, lower or leave the volume of the Pink Noise at the same level. I also questioned him about synaptic nerve damage within the auditory system from my noise induced tinnitus whether that may be reason for my reactive tinnitus or form of hyperacusis. He's not sure. He says there is a way to test for that but he doesn't have that equipment. He's also did a sound tolerance test on me which indicated I do suffer with very mild case of it but keeps referring to that as hyperacusis test which I believe is wrong as I believe the two are two separate entities where I suffer with both of them. There is no other audiologists in my city that even treats tinnitus.

I have mostly self taught myself to not react to my tinnitus in a way that will produce the fight or flight syndrome. Wearing the BTE sound generator helps as does my benzos with that for the most part. But when I take my BTE sound generator off at night, my tinnitus is peak loud making me question whether they are helping or hindering my progress. I'm not seeing any improvement when I'm not wearing them. They however do help cover majority of my tinnitus sounds & hyperacusis. So I view them more as a 'masking device' even though I can still perceive to some degree the higher pitched tones. The other problem is that when he resets the volume of the pink noise he depends 100% on me (the subject). So this is a subjective approach in finding that 'sweet spot' where he is trying to mix/blend the pink noise with my tinnitus.

Can you leave us the name of the audiologist you correspond with? I would be interested in asking her some questions. She can claim anything she wants but there is no way that we can know for certain what she claims is true without her providing the evidence. TRT specialists & others make lots of grandiose claims. But when it comes to backing it up, that's a whole other story.

 

My views and opinions on noise-induced tinnitus and hyperacusis are based on personal experience and corresponding and counselling people with these conditions. In my last post I said most people that complain about reactive tinnitus have been exposed to loud noise and developed tinnitus. Therefore, my belief about it hasn't changed. It is having an oversensitivity to sound and is a part of hyperacusis which can be very severe for some people. Some believe it to be a separate condition from hyperacusis but I do not believe this is the case. The term reactive tinnitus was made up in tinnitus forums many years ago and I stand by this statement.

Those that choose to believe in reactive tinnitus, it's their choice, but I don't think they are helping themselves in the long term. Often they find solace and camaraderie at tinnitus forums and other social media platforms with like minded people, that feed into and reinforce negative thinking about tinnitus and their life. This is made worse by people that self diagnose they have conditions like Dysacusis, Noxacusis and anything else they can throw into the mix to relay what they are going through is so severe and is untreatable. Please understand I am not saying the above conditions do not exist, but I do know some people self diagnose they have these conditions without being properly examined and assessed at ENT or Audiology.

Tinnitus and hyperacusis are not easy conditions to cope with and I have mentioned this many times in my posts and articles. For this reason it's important to try and have a positive outlook on life and have an open mind regarding treatment for these conditions. It is for this reason I often advise people starting treatment for tinnitus, to keep away from social media platforms and if they can't, not to discus the treatment they are having in them because some negative thinking people will try to convince them, that treatments for tinnitus and hyperacusis do not work. This can be potentially damaging to some people. It can hinder or completely stop a person making progress with their treatment.

The volume of the white noise generators should be kept below the tinnitus and not increased. Neither should it be set at the mixing point, this is where the tinnitus and the white noise blend together. Increasing the white noise often irritates the tinnitus and hyperacusis if it is present. I know some Audiologists advise their patients to do this but it often causes problems, such as spikes and irritation to the auditory system. When people have tried my suggestion which is to keep the volume of the white noise below the tinnitus, they are able to use the sound generators without problems. I prefer wearable sound generators to have an adjustable volume control for the white noise instead of being pre-set by the Audiologist.

My TRT treatment was 25 years ago. I did notice improvement as the weeks and months went by and this took two years. The hyperacusis was completely cured and has remained this way. The tinnitus reduced to a very low level that I hardly noticed. This changed in 2008 after a second noise trauma. I have mentioned this in my post: My Experience with Tinnitus, on my started threads. I believe having regular counselling with an Audiologist/Hearing Therapist is crucial when having TRT or wearing white noise generators. Many of these health professionals have tinnitus. I think it's important such a person has tinnitus, as this way they will be able to give good quality counselling and understand how tinnitus can affect a person's mental and emotional wellbeing.

I correspond with more than one Audiologist that practice tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment with patients. Unfortunately, I am unable to give you their names or where they reside.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

Thought I'd add my theory to the mix; I believe there are 2 types of "reactive tinnitus", the first being that which rides on top of noise and drops to baseline immediately after the noise is over, while the second being "spikes" which lasts a while after noise exposure. I firmly believe those two types have different pathologies and can't be treated(if at all) in the same way. I speculate that the former is some kind of sound distortion while the latter definitely is related to the severity of ones loudness hyperacusis. To my knowledge, sound distortions can't be treated in any meaningful way, while loudness hyperacusis in some(not all) cases can be treated/improved through desensitization, especially if it's related to overuse of hearing protection.

This is all just my speculation. But I have experience with both types. The former has resolved(as well as my "real" sound distortions), while the latter is my main tormentor still.

All the best,
Stacken

 

Of course she'll say that, she needs more $$$! Out of tinnitus sufferers.

That is as much as saying "only my snake oil will cure you, no other will."

Those two conditions can be bad enough to make a person's life unbearable to the point where you can't even leave your house... Blaming patients of negative thinking is just outrageous.

 

To Oscar PP:

As I reported on 6/28, my ENT Doctor warned me that a lifetime of migraines may have exhausted my brain's resourcefulness insofar as my capacity to "habituate" was concerned. IT DID NOT MATTER IN THE SLIGHTEST WHAT SORT OF ATTITUDE, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, THAT I BROUGHT TO MY RELATION WITH TINNITUS; EXPECTING ME TO OVERCOME SUCH NEUROCHEMICALLY INDUCED EXHAUSTION AND DEPLETION OF RESPONSIVENESS TO ACHIEVE TOTAL HABITUATION WAS AS ASSININE AS EXPECTING SOMEONE WHO WAS COLORBLIND TO JUST MARSHALL THE WILL TO SEE RED.

Given the further (and amazing) advances of what we know about the cumulative effects of PTSD and other phenomena on the brain's functioning, in time the methodology of these apostles of Habituation/CBT will be regarded as obsolete and discarded as the methods once employed by psychiatrists to "counsel" gay people about feeling guilty when they could not talk themselves into becoming heterosexual.

 

For your information, the Audiologist in question works for the NHS which is not privately run.

I have had tinnitus for many years and know what I'm talking about. You are entitled to your opinions even if they are wrong. I wasn't blaming anyone.

Please go to my started threads and read the following posts: Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, The Habituation Process, Is Positivity Important? Tinnitus and Mental Health, Can Tinnitus Counselling Help? Tinnitus and Negative Counselling, What Happens in TRT Sessions?

Michael

 

There is a problem with TRT, CBT and MBCT if they are advocated in a manner that makes them unfalsifiable as methods to affect habituation. In other words, if they work that’s because the relevant techniques and protocols were observed by the patient and if they don’t it is because they were not.

This doesn’t make sense to me as none of these approaches are going to be effective for everyone.

Plus, they are no substitute for a cure, or some sort of medication or device that will lower the volume of tinnitus.

At the same time, TRT, CBT and MBCT are all there is. And that is likely to be the case for a few more years.

TRT can be expensive (if obtained privately) but the well-known Henry and Wilson book on the psychological management of chronic tinnitus through CBT is available for free (if you know where to look), while the MBCT approach to chronic pain can be self-taught from the publications of authors like John Kabat-Zinn and applied to tinnitus. Used copies of these books can be purchased cheaply online.

So my advice to any newbie reading this thread would to at least give these methods a try.

 

I've experienced both types as well: First one being spontaneous relief from external antagonist sound when it ends & second type of longer spike duration which eventually goes back to baseline.

But with the former I feel it can also be broken down also into two or maybe three separate categories:

1. When the T.V., A/C fan, heater, radio make my tinnitus rise, it rises in relation to how much the volume of those devices are raised. There's a direct correlation. Not really distortion per se but spiking tinnitus until the external device is on lower setting or is shut off

2. Where I hear loud high pitched sound/tone coming from the refrigerator compressor or light fixture. It's more of an abnormal amplification phantom sound than a distortion.

3. I also hear a weird swoosh sound when I crinkle up a chip/pretzel bag or even a plastic vegetable bag. If that's a distorted or amplified phantom sound? I'm not sure which one.

Whether all of the above is due to hyperacusis? I have no idea. But all the above examples subside spontaneously when the external sound ends.

With spikes that last few hours or day or two that seems to be more related to stress, diet, depression or some sound that was very loud or combined sounds that have lot of vibration i.e. piano chord played with sustain pedal.

 

By translation the word hyperacusis when broken down into its parts simply means over-sensitivity to sound. The Greek prefix Hyper means Over & the Greek root for Hearing is Akousis or Acusis in English. So you get Over Hearing. There are people who suffer with hyperacusis & not tinnitus & then there are people who suffer with both tinnitus & hyperacusis. The latter is what some people claim to be reactive tinnitus. At least that's my understanding. Even if the word was created on forums that doesn't mean we should simply ignore it or that it should not become part of our vocabulary.

I hear you Michael. I am 6 months into treatment with my audiologist. I still come on here because it's an outlet for me where I feel others can relate to my condition where as people I know personally can't. I learn from others with this condition so that's why I'm on here communicating with people like you. It is important to stay positive. I agree wholeheartedly with that. I've already invested in my treatment because I had to pay for my hearing aids/sound generators out of my own pocket. I had no coverage what so ever. So I continue to communicate & have visits with my audiologist & plan to see CBT therapist.

I have little wiggle room to raise/lower the set sounds of the pink noise my audiologist sets the sound generators. He use's his computer & has me put on a device with a neck loop which goes over your head & rests on your chest. That's how he changes the volume of the sound. He however is leaving this up to me to decide in future what I want to have him do as far as increasing/decreasing or keeping the volume the same as it is set now. The problem is I don't know which way to go since I understand if one has hyperacusis then that should be treated first and by gradual increase in sound. However, initially, when I started sound treatment, he set the sound for me far too loud so we have been decreasing the sound level. Even with the sound it's at now I find it makes my tinnitus spike. So this is very complicated.

 

My advice is not to discuss your treatment on tinnitus forums and on social media platforms. I believe it is better to direct your thoughts to things you like to do and this will help take away the focus on tinnitus.

I know some Audiologists advise patients to treat hyperacusis first in the way you have described, by gradually turning up the volume of the white noise generators. I do not agree with this method, as it can irritate the hyperacusis and spike the tinnitus. Many people have complained of this. My Hearing Therapist advised me to set the white noise below the tinnitus at all times. The hyperacusis was completely cured in two years and the tinnitus reduced to a very low level. People I have advised of this method no longer have problems with white noise generators.

I have two types of white noise generators. Behind-the-ear (BTE) and in-ear. Both have volume controls allowing me to set the white noise to how I like it. I do not like the pre-set method.

My Audiologist also setup the BTE white noise generators on computer when I was being fitted. I had a choice of selecting two out of three sounds. I chose white and pink noise. These devices also incorporate hearing aids. Since I don't have hearing loss they were disabled. My in-ear white noise generators are MM10. These are the smallest white noise generators available.

Audimed MM10 White Noise Generator – HearingDirect UK

Michael

 

But what if you have as is my case oscillating up/down range of tinnitus sounds not just one static tone or hissing? The characteristics of my multiple tinnitus sounds also change sometimes within hours but more noticeable when I have very bad days. I have both hissing/roaring sound plus high pitched tones.

BTW: Thanks for all your help.

 

The things you describe about your tinnitus are nothing unusual. I experienced the same and a lot more, believe me. My noise trauma resulted in the whole of my head being completely numb for over 6 months. I could hear but everything sounded as if I were listening under water. Extremely frightening. A herbalist that knew a lot about noise induced tinnitus advised that I take Magnesium and Ginnkgo Biloba. I took them for two years and still take Ginkgo Biloba. Search my post history for more information.

You need to be patient and give it lots of time. Direct your attention to other things and not on tinnitus.

Thank you for your kind comments.

Michael

 

I looked into Ginkgo Biloba and even purchased it but haven't taken it because there were cases where people ended up getting seizures from it. There is a toxin within the nut and leaf of the herb & because it's not regulated you have no way of knowing how much of the toxin may be in the Ginkgo you purchase. Since I also take an anti-convulsant pill called Pregabalin, although not for epilepsy but for localized nerve pain, I'm concerned about taking it. Instead I've looked into GABA supplement which is available where I live but not much is known about it's effectiveness.

Ginkgo herbal medicines may increase seizures in people with epilepsy

The thing I don't understand is how did you know when you reached your maximum benefit from your treatment. Did you try & see how you were doing without your sound generators every couple of months? I test myself once a month by not wearing my BTE S.G. on weekend to see if I'm making any progress. So far it's been very disappointing.

I don't spend most of my day on tinnitus forums. I do many other things online unrelated to tinnitus. But being fairly new to this severe tinnitus/hyperacusis I need to still learn more about things I can do or purchase that will help protect &/or at least mitigate my loud tinnitus. For example I want to purchase ear muffs or noise cancelling headphones as protection when need a dental appointment in future. I'm not sure which to purchase yet. I want to be able to use earplugs plus one of those headphone devices to prepare myself if I need a filling or tooth rebuilt due to cracked tooth. I can't even think about going to dentist at this point where I am now. I have even cancelled two MRI appt's my ENT ordered for the auditory system because I'm concerned about the loudness from the MRI spiking my reactive tinnitus, plus I still have to have one more covid19 vaccine booster shot. The first shot had spiked my tinnitus for almost a week. I have issue's just going to the grocery stores with all the alarms & beeping sounds going off all the time. I'm not even sure if i should talk to a CBT therapist because that will also make me focus on my tinnitus, but my audiologist & other professionals recommend me seeing a CBT therapist.

Have yourself a nice weekend.

 

You will know when you have reached your maximum benefit when you stop paying attention to the tinnitus. All of a sudden without you realizing it you will know. It is natural to want to monitor your progress but try to resist testing yourself by not wearing the sound generators. Be patient and carry on with your life the best you can.

You should be having regular counselling with a therapist that has tinnitus. I believe it is the only way one can have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of this condition and the way it can affect a person's mental and emotional wellbeing. Tinnitus is learnt through experience, not from a book, in order to give good quality counselling.

It should be realized that tinnitus is mostly mental. I do not mean one can control the level of its intensity by mere thought. I have covered this in many of my articles on my started threads. I suggest you print and refer to them often as they are a form of counselling. You will absorb and retain the information better rather than reading on a phone or computer screen. I will list some below for you to take your time and read.

Although I had severe tinnitus and hyperacusis, I never found it necessary to use earplugs when going to the dentist. Earplugs have their uses but overuse can cause problems. I am not one for using noise cancelling headphones or earmuffs. Please read my post: Hyperacusis, As I See It.

Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, The Habituation Process, Is Positivity Important? Tinnitus and Mental Health, Can Tinnitus Counselling Help? Tinnitus and Negative Counselling, What Happens in TRT Sessions?

Michael