To understand what Masking Tinnitus is all about, we have to first understand what Tinnitus is. Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. It is not a disease like everyone think it is but rather is a symptom which causes some ear infection and other ear problems. Tinnitus can also be caused by natural hearing impairment like aging, a side effect of some medications or it could be a congenital hearing loss but the most common cause for this is noise-induced hearing loss. Tinnitus can occur in one out of five people with ages 55 to 65.

A Short History of Tinnitus

The first attempts in masking tinnitus started back in the early 20^th century. The attempts were made by the application of external sound. A doctor named Spaulding, back in 1903 used a piano to match the frequency of tinnitus in his patients. After some study, he then produced the same note on a wind instrument so it could be prolonged over a period of time. He then increased each volume note making the tinnitus inaudible for his patients.

In 1928, researchers named Jones and Knudsen, who made an auditory system with an outside sound similar to tinnitus but louder, developed a large instrument that could be placed on a bedside table for patients experiencing difficulty of sleeping. That instrument became the first bedside masker for patients with tinnitus. It was in 1973 that Jack Vernon, Ph.D., who led a research group in Oregon to develop any treatment options for patients suffering from tinnitus that made a breakthrough in masking tinnitus.

Different Types of Masking Tinnitus

Tinnitus masking was created to offer patients a solution that is available and ready with immediate effects. There are different types of masking tinnitus. One type is a simple tinnitus masker. A tinnitus masker looks like a hearing aid but it’s not an actual hearing aid. This type of masker is used by those people without any hearing loss but they don’t make the external sounds any louder. How it works is that this masker is added with a stream of white noise to cover the tinnitus sounds.

Another type of masking tinnitus is the hearing aid itself. This is used by those who do have hearing loss. They work by amplifying the sounds the person does want to hear thus making the tinnitus a bit less. They also lessen the time a person spends in silence. The more the person is used to the habituated sound; the more their tinnitus lessens.

Tinnitus masking functions better when it is combined with other devices. Some tinnitus maskers made by specialty stores can sit on tabletop. Others can play variations on white noise that usually center on natural or household sounds.  Home medical suppliers emit a pleasant whooshing and consistent sound that is a plainer noise. Though this tinnitus masker works well during the day for the patient, at night due to its limited portability, these are mostly used to aid the patient in sleeping making it helpful for those who suffer tinnitus since ear noises make it difficult for them to sleep at night.

There are also other ways used for masking tinnitus, usually those who don’t want medical devices, use this kind of method. Although these are tested and proven methods, effective results are often few. These methods can involve some materials found in your home. They are used to create white noise. Noises from TV stations or fm radio can also do the trick. Mechanical noises are helpful too but over the time, these tend to wear out. So overall, whatever method you want to use for tinnitus masking, it is always good to consult medical experts first to avoid further complications.