Tinnitus Masking: In-Ear Maskers

Thanks man. I'll see what my audiologist says. I feel like I'm being pressured into not getting a masking hearing aid!

 

If your T is high pitch tonal type, the GHI could "save your life" immediately. It works for me very well when I got it last December and saved my life, I backed to normal nearly 100% for about 1 month. But after I did an MRI test in Jan. 2013, the tonal T changed competely, which makes the GHI useless. I regreted so much to have taken the MRI, the test is so loud that my ear cannot burden the huge noise in the tube.

So you can try the masker asap, maybe it is the key for you, you will back to normal eventully. Good luck!

 

Oh thanks! That sounds positive about the GHI. I feel like a little piece of me dies every morning when I wake up (at 3am, sigh) and I realise that it's still there. Which model did you go for? I was also terrified to do an MRI coz i was scared it would make the tinnitus worse. Don't despair. You will get better. You will. It just takes time, thanks for the info!

 

I can only sleep for 1 hour at the beginning, for about 4 months, but after got the masker, I come back to normal 100%. Being sentimental is very normal for every T sufferer at the beginning, which I regret that my hopeless at that time scared my ex fiancee. Be more rational, because the T is there, no matter how suffer you are. I know exactly what you are experiencing now, believe me, it will get better, and you need try something step by step, take action for yourself and your relatives & friends. Masker, medicine, TRT, CBT, sound enrichment, and keep talking with others.

 

Gday Neenie,
You know, yesterday I went to the cricket here in Perth. I spent the day sitting around, drinking beer, chatting to my wife, laughing at the antics of the crowd, baking in the heat and generally having a normal, great day. The t was there when I looked for it, but I went for hours without thinking about it. This whole habituation thing takes time, and the irony is it that it only develops when you're not trying. You cant 'try' to habituate. You have to 'not try'. Trying only feeds the t. Like right now, the t I hear is impossible to ignore - it's really cranking - but my reaction to it has dulled.
I was pissed off by all the "you'll get used to it" comments too- how can you 'get used to' a force 10 oscillating roar in your head 24/7?
Does yours vary in any way - like in tone or volume? Mine seems to be 'reset' overnight - when I wake up I'm given something from the tone and volume playlist, and that's what I've got for the rest of the day. I guess what I'm trying to say is , even if it lets up just a bit - that's the time to do something that'll absorb you. And do a bit of 'non-trying ' habituation.
Wierd thing about mine is that I find the scream of a grinder or the whine of a vaccuum really quite comforting these days. Could listen to them for hours.
We're all on your side here. Everyone.
Rog

 

Thanks man. Yer, I know I'm trying to hard but I don't know how to stop trying. I don't know how to stop thinking about it. Even if I'm out with friends, I can't concentrate on what they're saying coz all I think is "omg, i have tinnitus, i cant live with this". I know I'm meant to just do normal things but I can't get out from this ringing. I'm actually terrified of what's to come. I really really don't want to die. But I'm scared that I'll have to. I like being alive....normally, not now though. No, mine does not vary. It is the same loudness, same frequency as it was on the first day. Usually by now people have begun to accept it and move on, and therefore get better. Not me. Nope. Too anxious. Crap. I hate my life. I wish I could be more relaxed and have a better attitude. My attitude sucks so bad. I spend the day searching for a miracle cure that doesnt exist and then I lie to my partner and tell him I had a busy day and didn't focus on it. I actually listen to all this advice to get on with things and then do the opposite. Why am I so stubborn!

 

You also can mask by downloading a white noise app into your smart phone or MP3 player, and wearing a small headset. That's what I do. It's not as expensive as a hearing aid but probably also not as convenient or effective. I do like the fact that with my app, I have a wide choice of sounds. My tinnitus seems to respond better to different sounds at different times.

Some other people on this board, like Aaron, have had good luck with hearing aid-style maskers. If you go this route, try to do it with a 30-day trial period.

 

Hi all,
I was just wondering if any of you wear a tinnitus masker at all and which brand and model type you own. There are millions of potential maskers out there so I feel a little bit lost. Money is no issue. I just want this gone.

 

I never mask my T during waking hours. I'm hoping that if it doesn't go away, that this will aid in my habituation. I hear my T over everything usually. I thinking using maskers can be tricky. I'm sure others will chime in soon.

 

@Neenie , I don't wear a t masker, but I have a water sound on in my room at very low volume most of the time.

 

I wear masker 24 hours everyday, for me, I don't have to habituate to the T sound, I only have to habituate to the masker's sound, which is similar to white noise, I found it quite easy to habituate that. My mindset is that, the masker is just like my glasses, I can wear it forever, so what, just glasses for my ear

 

Have you researched which brands/models are the best? Seems like there are a lot out there. And possibly what is good for one is not necessarily good for another?

 

I use a hearing aid type made by GENERAL HEARING..You are in effect trading one noise for another when using the masker..However for some reason the static sound of the masker is not as nerve racking as the Tinnitus and therefore easier to come use to.

There is a psychological advantage in using the masker, as you control the noise as well as the volume and can discontinue it at any time.

 

Using a masker all day long (Ipod)

 

I also weared General Hearing tranquil before the MRI, and wear Starkey Xino after the MRI changed my T tone, but I prefer General Hearing than Starkey, and GH is much chaeper, $500 for a masker, but seems that they only sell in USA, don't know if you can get the device in Australia

 

Ok thanks guys. I'm seeing another Audiologist on Monday so fingers crossed I get something for Xmas! Ugh, I just can't get excited about Xmas this year coz of the damn tinnitus. I try. I fail. Every day.

 

I always have white noise on during the day from a desk top device. I own the type that you wear, but it is more convenient to use the desk top machine. Today I am starting to go with constant "notched" Enya music played at low volume through my Bose headset.

 

So I have a secret. I see 2 different Audiologist. One is really old school and I'm going to start Neuromonics with her at the end of this month. The other one is new school and offered me hearing aids on the very first day. I'm going with both options. Also the first Audiologist basically said I'd have tinnitus forever and I've just got to habituate and do progressive muscular relaxation (I'm sorry but I really dont think progressive relaxation is gonna help with the tinnitus. You try and relax when your head it screaming and then tell me again to relax...). And the other Audiologist said that tinnitus would go away just like it came. Either in 2 days, 2 years, 20 years, but eventually it will go away. Have you guys also gotten really mixed messages from professionals?

 

LOL

 

Neenie, actually so many different opinions. I've had T for a month and it's been so hard for me. Especially the nights. I'm on Remeron 7.5mg for sleep right now otherwise I can't. I use a fan and /or music under my pillow. But in answer to your comment my ENT says one thing, the psychologist says something else. I also have TMJ but not sure if that caused it. My ENT has me on 2 grams of salt which is ridiculous because everything has salt and our bodies need a certain amount as well. I've been to an audiologist and then want me back in 3 months to see how I am doing. There is also so much on the internet. So can you drink caffeine? My psychologist says yes, but everything on the net wants you to stop coffee, soda, tea and alcohol. Who do you believe it's frustrating.

 

Neenie, in my opinion most ENT's or other Dr's are quite well schooled. The different opinions they give you just shows how elusive T is. I am sure each one has his/hers own beliefs. Actually my ENT also told me it would eventually go away.
I respect him quite a bit, he will talk to me for up to an hour sometimes, talking about T and explain to me his reasons for his take on T. He did admit it's just his opinion..

 

@Linda, Millbrae here. Don't mean to divert from Neenie's thread.
I respect my doctors too, as Gary mentioned. Well schooled as stated.

In reply to your comment about stopping coffee, etc.
I tried it, stopped alcohol too. It didn't help my T. Part of my frightening back it was to - get back - to my regular life. So I drink coffee, a beer now and I Enjoy it. If you got Tinnitus bad, and it sounds like with the sleeping issue, tell me about it, I know. Mine (T) seems unchangeable, it only gets worse, not better. I don't want to give anything up I enjoy for the damn ear-nerve noise. That first month is crazy, 10 months doesn't seem much better. Neenie will tell ya. And let us know about the salt thing, wow.

 

I've only had a month but evenings I have to take my Remeron for sleep. ENT prescribed. Listen to fan and/or music. Seems like its hard for a lot of those who are on the beginning of this. I have to learn to relax, stress and tension. My ENT told me keep the salt down it aggravates it. Many have tackled this and their seems to be much quieter. We have to be positive. I miss my San Jose Sharks games - way too loud. Wanted to go to a bar and watch the Niner game bummer can't do that either. These are the hardest things.

 

@Neenie,

Yes, a lot of times I'm tempted to write "doctors", cause I haven't met one of them that actually know T&H. It's ridiculous. I've been forced to trace down answers myself by research and discussions with others with the same issues. If your lucky enough to come across a scientist or an author on the topic of T some answers may be returned. I had a chat with an author of a book on hearing damage that was honest about his view on the ENTs. He wasn't too impressed either. We need T specialists!

 

Neenie. I also saw 2 different ENT's both pretty much on the same page one top in my State. Both told me if you sufferered hearing loss the T will never go away. I have had 1 hearing aid for several months now and I can say when I do wear it it definately calms down the T. I also wear headphones at night to listen to the TV which also masks my T. The fluctuation with the crazy weather makes my T worse and with the barometric pressure high keeps my T nice and loud!

 

Hi Neenie,

Shop around till you find someone who is committed to helping you find answers and solutions that work for you.

Yes Neenie, differing opinions. That is always going to be the case when we consult multiple practioners. However, in my case, when discussing my diagnosis and prognosis, the wording was quite different between practioners; though both angling at the same endpoint. t is going to be permanent because of hearing loss was my take home message. (ie audiologist said 'you have t and hearing loss. live with it.' another said ' because of your hearing loss, t has probably always been there unnoticed till you've suffered an ear infection, that has raised your brains awareness of the t. as you start to learn to ignore the sound, your t will recede into the background again, and you will wont notice it anymore.')

I saw a reputable Australian audiologist who implied that my t wouldn't just 'go away', that it will fade into the background, where it probably always resided since the hearing loss, so that I am no longer bothered/aware of the noise. (habituation) To me, being unaware of the noise is as good as a cure

I am getting good results (= more relaxed, less bothered by t, sleeping better, cognitively less dysfunctional, quieter t) with hypnotherapy. I have revisited this therapy as I have always found it very helpful managing anxiety and chronic stress. It turns out my hypnotherapist has t herself, and has used her therapy to successfully desensitize herself to t. I always go to the appointments wondering how the hell I am going to relax into the session, but I always manage to, and after a half hour of therapy, my t is very quiet and I feel profoundly relaxed. I would give that a go if I were you.

Mindfulness makes a lot of sense to me. Most people with t try to run away from their noise (me included). It doesn't take long to realise that is virtually impossible, and for me, the more I try to not hear it, the more intrusive it seems. I am still reading about this, so I cant intelligently comment it on this further, but wanted to mention it to you as a possible bridge to healing.

Like you Neenie, I want to trial the sound therapies. Let me know how you get on with the neuromonics. There is another Australian based company in Perth that provides sound therapy. They claim their therapy is different to neuromonics in that it helps with brain remapping, whereas as neuromonics simply masks the noise. I am a little (a lot) confused at this point, so am seeing an audiologist who will discuss my options.

keep in touch hun
don't give up XXX

 

Re: hearing aides................

how long did it take for you to notice a difference to your t when wearing your aides.....

I was given a temporary hearing aide to trial. I tried wearing it a few days and it didn't seem to make a difference, and irritated me. I have been since told that it could take a while for my brain to adapt to the amplified sound and hence the t reduction (if any)?????

thanks

 

It took me a long time to get used to it. I had the trial for about 6 weeks. I started using it for 4 hours a day and worked my way up. It really helps with the T and it took quite a few months for my brain to adjust. It takes time and is really frustrating but it does help!!

 

Re: Hearing Aids. I got mine set to zero amplification which is great because then you dont have all the negatives that come with hearing aids. Most hearing aids come with an inbuilt tinnitus masker so that is what I'm using and I find it to be helpful. It doesn't quite mask it but then again that's probably a good thing (or else I'll never adapt). So I recommend using one just purely for the masker sound in it. If you have hearing loss but you are not distrubed by it you can still ask to have the amplification set to zero and then it basically just sounds like wearing an iPod with windy noise on it. Recommend it. (Has to be a "behind the ear" type so that it doesn't block the auditory canal which would makes tinnitus worse)

 

Neenie and Deb - I have worn Unitron hearing maskers for about 5 mths. I set them at the same pitch and just lower in volume than my T - It has reduced it a massive amount and also almost completely rid me of hyperaccussis (pain from sensitivity to sound). It took no more than a week for it to start to work and as I can lower the sound to suit me I have continued to lower my T levels over the weeks and months. It is an awesome feeling to have control. I needed help from my E specialist toi set it up and he can adjust levels as well when I visit him. Any Q's just pm me.