White / Pink Noise Increases My Tinnitus When It Should Decrease It — Why?

Hello!

I have heard (and read) that white / pink noise are supposed to decrease tinnitus symptoms.

However, it appears to increase my symptoms. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

 

Yes many have the same issue, including me.

 

With the exception of shower, mine also reacts to almost any sustained noise and increases to the level, which always sits a notch above this noise.
I believe this is one of the less "desirable" types of Tinnitus, as it is virtually unmaskable.

There has been some heated debates raging on this issue, as to wheter it is appropriate to call this type of Tinnitus a "reactive Tinnitus" or not, but since it does react to sound, I'm not quite sure if there is a better way to describe it, than indeed calling it reactive.

 

If it is reactive, I don't know but mine appears to whistle in response to specific noises but disappears once the noise has faded. I am 6 weeks into a recent spike (foolish loud noise exposure) and really annoyed with myself as it could have been avoided but there we go...
I have read about Musical Ear Syndrome which appears to match my symptoms so I would have thought pink/ white noise exposure would be the way forward in an effort to stimulate neuroplasticity following auditory damage. Must not stress about it though as it just makes it worse!

 

If I sleep with a fan on it spikes my tinnitus the next day.

 

Where have you heard/read that? (links to sources please)

There are some treatments (backed by scientific studies) that use white noise, but not as-is: it is modified in very specific ways. Look for "windowed white noise".

Also, these treatments, like any other medical field, do not work on all people, so you may be a patient who doesn't respond well to such approach. You may trigger what many people call "reactive tinnitus".

Good luck!

 

I have been told by my audiologist.

Quite honestly, my prior approach to healing did not use any form of broadband noise. I have had these symptoms before but it's only now I decided to try using white/pink noise as I also present with hyperacusis (which appears to have simultaneously flared up). These symptoms have faded before without any form of 'therapy'.

The neuroplastic response likely requires repetitive exposure to noise that stimulates neuronal activity and in this case - a specific frequency. This is how hyperacusis is treated. A temporary increase in tinnitus symptoms may be in response to this stimulation and it is possible this may be a - gets worse before it gets better scenario however, I could be wrong and naturally who wants an elevation in their tinnitus symptoms?! Perhaps I should PubMed this...

Thanks for the tip. I'll look into that.

 

Well, be careful about stimulating one frequency: you end up stressing one very specific part of your cochlea (wherever the hair cells for that frequency are), and too much energy focused on one area is known to affect that area negatively (ie destroy hair cells), not unlike the experience of an acoustic trauma.

Good luck!

 

I've listened, or tried to use, all the kinds, white, pink, brown, purple etc...and usually afterward T was slightly louder or bothersome. Not sure the reason though. From what I feel and sense, my ears prefer a more targeted range of frequencies. I did make some passthrough noise samples, like 5500-6500 Hz and utilized I think pink or purple noise, but there is very little fall off of power/intensity in that small of a range (so could have used white). Haven't used those sounds in a long time.

 

Even if the white noise is low in volume?

 

The white noise doesn't focus on one specific area of the cochlea, by the very definition of white noise (it has a uniform distribution of energy density across the spectrum).

Like any sound: the lower the volume, the lower the risk.

 

Treatment with broadband noise requires you to listen to it at a barely audible level. This is what I was doing however, it still exacerbated my tinnitus symptoms.