Are In-Ear Maskers Safe?

[Jason37]

Are in-ear maskers safe? Have appointment with audiologist and my ENT said they might help on days that it's bothering me.

 

[Ambassador]

Absolutely safe and effective and if it's programed right you will find it is a tremendous help.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Are in-ear maskers safe? Have appointment with audiologist and my ENT said they might help on days that it's bothering me.

They are no longer called maskers as they should not mask the tinnitus. The modern name is white noise generators. Set the volume slightly below your tinnitus. Some people are sensitive to white noise generators at first. In this case, wear them for a couple of hours then take them off for the same amount of time. Then put them back on. Slowly build up the wearing time over a few weeks until you can wear them continuously up to 8hrs or whatever your Audiologist recommends. At night don't wear them when asleep. Use a sound machine by your bedside, keeping the volume slightly below your tinnitus.

Michael

 

[Jason37]

I have T in one ear. Do I need two?

I assume I can play different things other than white noise?

Also @Michael Leigh...I was told to stop with the T forums from CBT councilor. I assume that is wise. It is becoming quite the bad habit for me.

 

[foliefortuna]

They are no longer called maskers as they should not mask the tinnitus. The modern name is white noise generators. Set the volume slightly below your tinnitus. Some people are sensitive to white noise generators at first. In this case, wear them for a couple of hours then take them off for the same amount of time. Then put them back on. Slowly build up the wearing time over a few weeks until you can wear them continuously up to 8hrs or whatever your Audiologist recommends. At night don't wear them when asleep. Use a sound machine by your bedside, keeping the volume slightly below your tinnitus.

Michael

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

 

[AZeurotuner]

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

I personally find white noise to be pretty relaxing, it has a soft, calming tone that makes it easy for me to fall asleep, I've always slept with a fan on or some form of background noise (currently using a mechanical white noise machine). But we're all different, some people are country and others rock and roll, lol. You have to find what works best for you.

 

[Michael B]

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

foliefortuna, I sometimes do that myself with my hearing aid's Bluetooth function although not with white noise per se. After a half hour or so, I feel the tension dissipating. It's a good feeling.

 

[fishbone]

I am at times using my hearing aids, that have an ocean wave sound built in, it is very relaxing for me. The key is to having it programmed by a professional and you should check in with that professional from time to time to voice your joys about the hearing aids and your concerns as well....

My only gripe is that, the batteries don't last too long

 

[foliefortuna]

I personally find white noise to be pretty relaxing, it has a soft, calming tone that makes it easy for me to fall asleep, I've always slept with a fan on or some form of background noise (currently using a mechanical white noise machine). But we're all different, some people are country and others rock and roll, lol. You have to find what works best for you.

Oh ok. I wish I was like that. I personally do not find any color of noise from a white (or whatever color) noise machine. I do not mind the sound of fans or air conditioning though for some reason. I am just really annoyed by the thought of listening to something all day. The most tolerable masking noise for me is music. Can I play that all day with an in ear generator? I am not sure.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Oh ok. I wish I was like that. I personally do not find any color of noise from a white (or whatever color) noise machine. I do not mind the sound of fans or air conditioning though for some reason. I am just really annoyed by the thought of listening to something all day. The most tolerable masking noise for me is music. Can I play that all day with an in ear generator? I am not sure.

I am unsure about a masker, but some hearing aids can be connected to mobile devices to play music.

 

[foliefortuna]

I am unsure about a masker, but some hearing aids can be connected to mobile devices to play music.

But isn't that just like having ear buds?

 

[Tinker Bell]

But isn't that just like having ear buds?

I am not sure. Some members argue adamantly against earbuds yet never really clarify how they are that different from hearing aids. I think the prevailing thought is that hearing aids will not play as loud. But technology even for hearing aids has advanced in the last 15 or 20 years and now you can adjust the volume yourself on many models.

I had multiple audiologists tell me earbuds with white noise/soothing sounds was fine on a low volume.

 

[Michael Leigh]

But isn't that just like having ear buds?

@foliefortuna

Contrary to what some believe white noise generators are nothing like earbuds I assure you and will not make tinnitus worse providing they are used correctly. Earbuds can be dangerous to use especially for someone with noise induced tinnitus. I have covered this topic at length and shan't go over it again here. If it is okay with you, I will send a PM detailing the differences at a later time. There are some people in this forum that have never used white noise generators to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis and think they know all about it. Well they don't. I have been using white noise generators for 22 years.

Al the best
Michael

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have T in one ear. Do I need two?

I assume I can play different things other than white noise?

Also @Michael Leigh...I was told to stop with the T forums from CBT councilor. I assume that is wise. It is becoming quite the bad habit for me.

Tinnitus forums can be good they can also be bad. Please click on the link below and read my post. If you are having any type of treatment with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist I advise you not to mention it in any tinnitus forums due to the negative and bias comments that you will encounter from some members.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-negative-counselling.26669/

 

[Michael Leigh]

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

Again, I will send you a PM explaining the benefits of using white noise correctly using white noise generators, to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis if it is present.

Michael

 

[dbth]

@Michael Leigh bias... you mean like you?

 

[dbth]

Again, I will send you a PM explaining the benefits of using white noise correctly using white noise generators to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis if it is present.

Michael

Because he knows he will get torn up if he starts feeding you his dogma publicly. I see you are bringing your cultist brainwashing into the shadows Michael.

 

[Tinker Bell]

We have a member here who was treated by one of the creators of TRT. Even Jastreboff said earbuds were an acceptable substitute for white noise generators. Opinions on TRT and its founder aside, if the actual creator says it's okay then that is the expert advice on the matter and should carry more weight than any of our personal opinions.

I was treated with TRT under the care of Dr. Pawel Jastreboff, who is one of the creators of TRT. At the outset, he said he could treat me with TRT either with the wearable sound generators (WSGs) or without them, instead using my own earbuds and iPhone. He said progress likely would be faster with the WSGs, but either way was fine. He said that he priced the WSGs at his cost (about $1,600 for the pair), so financially he was indifferent to the two options.

Source thread: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/i-hate-trt-tinnitus-retraining-therapy.23484/

 

[Julien87]

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

Generally, people are less annoyed by an external noise, and more especially when it is something they have control on.
This is the big difference with tinnitus, hearing the tinnitus can make some people crazy because they cannot get it out of their head no matter what they do, whereas they can stand the white noise more easily. For those people the masking can be of great help.

 

[GregCA]

But isn't that just like having ear buds?

Pretty much, yes.

There is one person in here who is particularly dogmatic about it (along with other "beliefs") so take advice with a grain of salt. If you want more trustworthy sources, ask real professionals (I did).

No matter what the sound source is, one key element is to keep volume at reasonable levels (we tend to like immersive sounds/music and that may be too loud).

 

[foliefortuna]

Again, I will send you a PM explaining the benefits of using white noise correctly using white noise generators, to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis if it is present.

Michael

Ok thanks.

 

[glynis]

White noise generator are safe and I myself used them in my early years.
They should be set below your tinnitus sound.
White noise generators have a very fine tuning that can go really low un like ear phones .
The first option for me would be white noise generators.

I did ask Professor David Baguley if ear phones could be used to play white noise if you could not afford White noise generators or accsess to them and were desperate for relief and he said yes on the lowest setting.
The lowest setting though is not the same as the lowest setting on a white noise generator wich has a really fine setting.
Love glynis x

 

[GregCA]

Why would anyone do that? Listening to white noise all the time would be exactly like tinnitus.

That's a good question, and it turns out the answer is quite simple.

Tinnitus is a "phantom sound" in that it has no external source - it's generated inside our bodies. This being said, it can be perceived as many different sounds by the patient. One patient may say his/her T sounds like an A/C (fan-like, broadband, a bit like colored noise), while another one may say it sounds like a high pitch screech (like train brakes, or the turbine on a jet/helicopter). Like "real sounds", some sounds are more tolerable than others. If you have an internal sound that is difficult to bear, then "drowning it" into another sound may mask it to some extent and take the edge off it.

I have a hearing aid that has some broadband/colored noise masking feature and I use that to drown my screeching noise so it's more bearable. Yes it's like listening to another type of T, but I'm happy to trade my T for that one ("in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king").

 

[glynis]

The reason why masking sounds should be below your tinnitus sound is so your brain works hard to pick up the lower sound you have chosen and not focuses on the tinnitus helping your brain not see it as a threat and adjust better to your sound.
We are all different and finding what helps is the key for us all.
Love glynis x

 

[david c]

I personally didn't find white noise generators at all helpful (and tried them over a long period). As far as them being "safe" - well it's fair to say that quite a few people have posted on this forum to say that rather than helping their tinnitus they have simply aggravated it. It's your choice at the end of the day - if you are getting them free that's one thing, but I would think twice about paying for them.

 

[Shera]

My audiologist thought maskers would help. He had them set just below my T noise. I never was someone who could listen to white noise and I'd actively seek out silence. I tried, but it was so loud. Louder than what I listen to my head phones at.

When he tested he said it was at 60 db before I couldn't hear it. That makes me think getting anything close to masking it would be dangerous. Besides my T usually goes up higher than that.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have T in one ear. Do I need two?

I assume I can play different things other than white noise?

Also @Michael Leigh...I was told to stop with the T forums from CBT councilor. I assume that is wise. It is becoming quite the bad habit for me.

Yes, you need two white noise generators. This keeps the auditory system in balance. Professor Jastreboff mentions this in his TRT book. Even if the tinnitus is in one ear, two WNG must be worn.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have T in one ear. Do I need two?

I assume I can play different things other than white noise?

Also @Michael Leigh...I was told to stop with the T forums from CBT councilor. I assume that is wise. It is becoming quite the bad habit for me.

If you must visit tinnitus forums then I advise you not to talk about any treatment that you are having or read too many negative posts, or listen to people promoting negavity towards tinnitus treatments. This can delay or stop you making progress with your treatment.

Michael

 

[just1morething]

I am at times using my hearing aids, that have an ocean wave sound built in, it is very relaxing for me. The key is to having it programmed by a professional and you should check in with that professional from time to time to voice your joys about the hearing aids and your concerns as well....

My only gripe is that, the batteries don't last too long

@fishbone, Are your hearing aids the Siemens brand? I see they have the ocean sound choice in their maskers. Are they in the $4-5 thousand range? Thanks.

https://media.sivantos.com/siemens-website/media/2015/04/2015_04_Tinnitus-Siemens-Package.pdf

 

[fishbone]

@fishbone, Are your hearing aids the Siemans brand? I see they have the ocean sound choice in their maskers. Are they in the $4-5 thousand range? Thanks.

https://media.sivantos.com/siemens-website/media/2015/04/2015_04_Tinnitus-Siemens-Package.pdf

I use Beltone hearing aids and they were around $5,000. My insurance covered 80% of it and I paid 20%. It was a great deal. I use it at times just for the masking. The sound of the built in ocean waves, are calming for my intrusive tinnitus at times