How Does Tinnitus Sound Therapy Work?

Do you feel like you have a hearing problem, such as experiencing audio disturbances, which only gets more frustrating and distressing by the day? If so, there’s a possibility that you might have Tinnitus. It’s important to note that Tinnitus is not a medical condition itself. In fact, it`s a symptom of other underlying conditions, such as hearing disorder, ear injury, etc.

Fortunately, Tinnitus has many prescribed treatments. One such procedure is Tinnitus Therapy.

What’s Tinnitus Therapy?

As mentioned, Tinnitus is the triggering of sound in the ears or head, which feels like ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, or whistling. Tinnitus is not caused externally but it springs from the body itself.

Tinnitus sound therapy entails using real or external noise to counter the perception and reaction to Tinnitus. It’s important to note that, like other Tinnitus treatments, it doesn’t absolve you from Tinnitus. But, it can undoubtedly provide robust relief.

What’s The Exact Process Of Tinnitus Sound Therapy?

A Tinnitus sound therapy is an unconventional solution to remedy the high-pitched noises at the back of your mind. The sound therapy is done through multiple mechanisms, including masking, habituation, distraction, and neuromodulation.

• Masking: The masking mechanism involves sound masking devices to expose the patient to external noise at such a large volume so it can partially or entirely block Tinnitus sounds.

• Distraction: Distraction is an effective sound therapy that uses external sounds to distract the patient. It’s done with the help of hearing aids so that other sounds can divert your attention from the sound of tinnitus. This sound therapy is especially used for war veterans who suffer from Tinnitus as per the American Tinnitus Association.

• Habituation: Habituation uses notched music devices, which helps the patient to naturally ‘tune out’ the perception of Tinnitus.

• Neuromodulation: Neuromodulation is to use sound and sleep applications to help you sleep. Another method is to use devices, which produce white noise, to drown out Tinnitus sounds.

Each of these mechanisms targets your brain to categorize the unwanted sounds as neutral or not necessary. In layman’s terms, your mind is made to forget Tinnitus sounds.

Take note that that there’s subjective Tinnitus, which you may hear, and an objective Tinnitus, which your doctor can listen to. Therefore, do follow Tinnitus Sound Therapy on doctor’s orders.

How Does Tinnitus Sound Therapy Provide Relief?

Tinnitus sound therapy helps you mitigate the sounds caused by Tinnitus by countering the perception and reaction to Tinnitus.

Through Tinnitus sounds therapy, you’re combating the non-auditory internal sound through the help of external noises, which is much better and convenient than medications and surgical treatments.

Why Should You Opt To Have Tinnitus Sound Therapy?

Suppose you have a Tinnitus condition, which implies a hearing loss and other auditory or medical problems. Since each of the prescribed therapy methods is entirely painless and prevents you from reliance on long term medical procedures, including drugs and surgical treatments, it’s advisable to undergo a Tinnitus sound therapy of your choice.

Remember that sound therapy and mind-altering mechanisms are preferred to reduce and manage Tinnitus instead of a ‘magic pill.’ No drug or medication can provide instant relief from Tinnitus, and even if there is, it’ll only be a short-term relief. This is because Tinnitus treatments are far more complex as they require the identification of perceptual characteristics of Tinnitus.

The reason for this is that many Tinnitus patients respond differently to the condition. After analyzing different perceptual and neurophysiological characteristics, along with its causes, Tinnitus treatments are best prescribed by a clinical expert. However, a majority of experts recommend sound therapy for Tinnitus. Moreover, patients receiving sound therapy also show positive results.

That’s why a Tinnitus sound therapy is an effective mechanism to train your brain to ignore Tinnitus in the long term.

The Bottom Line

Tinnitus is not an average condition to ignore. It can have some severe consequences in the form of permanent hearing loss, damage or loss of sensory hair cells, and constant pain. Therefore, opt for Tinnitus Sound Therapy since it’s better than taking regular medications with possible side effects.

Don’t wait for your Tinnitus to trouble you. Take preventive measures such as avoiding loud noise. If you develop Tinnitus, it may take up to a few months or more to get rid of it. In fact, in some situations, people have to live with Tinnitus all their lives. With that being said, you should aim to reduce your dependency on external interventions and train yourself to fight Tinnitus through sound therapy.