What is Tinnitus Masking? & A Simple Way To Find Out Whether It Will Work For You Or Not

Tinnitus masking is an effective way to get relief from tinnitus but will it work for you? Here are a few simple tests that will determine whether you should go for tinnitus masking or not?

Here is a simple test that will help you determine your needs

Faucet test is one of them. Many People take the faucet test to understand if the same can help them mask the irritating noises caused by their tinnitus. In this test, if the sound of running water masks the noise caused by tinnitus.

This concept of masking was first derived by Dr. Jack Vernon in mid 1970's.

The high level of sounds generated by tinnitus maskers overlap the ringing sounds in the individuals mind giving a soothing effect. There are various ways of masking tinnitus of which tinnitus masking equipment is the most common. This equipment is like a hearing aid, but generates sound of a level which crushes the irritating noise caused by tinnitus. The frequency of these maskers can be adjusted.

The success rate of masking is very high. The sound generated by masking aids is soft and soothing compared to the irritating sounds generated due to tinnitus. It is a human tendency to ignore some particular external sounds which are not too loud or irritating. Such noise is created by a masking aid. Hence if the masking sound which dampens the tinnitus is ignored, indirectly the tinnitus noise is also ignored. The time and duration of use of a masking aid is determined by an individual as per his or her needs. There is no set schedule for it.

For some individuals tinnitus aggravates only at night causing disturbed sleep. For such people different types of masking units are available which one more comfortable and less disturbing to others while sleeping. E.g. Ear units, FMstatic, soothing noises/sounds recorded on tapes/cds.