The effectiveness of WNGs (also referred to TRT, sound therapy, etc.) gets debated heavily on TTalk and elsewhere. I find it most helpful to go directly to the studies that have been done, and people can draw their own conclusions from the data.
This website summarizes the research that has been published. My take-away is that it seems like sound therapy sometimes can be helpful (though not a cure) for some patients, but not all.
When TRT is administered correctly it can be a very effective treatment for tinnitus and hyperacusis. It is not a cure for tinnitus but can completely cure hyperacusis in some people. I am proof of this as I once had very severe hyperacusis. To the point were every sound hurt and was in a lot of pain. When in conversation with someone I had to ask them to please lower their voice. I had TRT for 2 years, wearing white noise generators for up to 10hrs a day and using s sound machine at night. My hyperacusis has been cured for 18 years.
Hyperacusis is the result of the auditory receptors or gateways in the brain that have opened up due to noise trauma. Depending on how severe the hyperacusis is will determine on how long and how much a person will recover. In severe circumstances treatment using white noise generators will be necessary and preferably with counselling known as TRT. Over time the white noise which is gently delivered by the WNG attached to the ears, desensitise the hypersensitivity of the auditory system and thus begin to close down the "auditory receptors/gateways" in the brain so hypersensitivity is no longer experienced.
Some people call the hypersensitivity to sound caused by noise trauma "Reactive tinnitus". There is no such thing, this term was made up in tinnitus forums. It is actually hyperacusis and it comes in different levels of severity and no two people will experience it quite the same, just as tinnitus is experienced differently between people.
For those that will believe nothing other than research and data particularly when it involves tinnitus and hyperacusis, might want to read the article below about hyperacusis. It also mentions Reactive tinnitus. The link to the website is at the end of the article.
Michael
Definitions
What is Hyperacusis?
The lack of consistency in defining hyperacusis is frustrating for researchers and patients alike. The following are the most common definitions for terms related to hyperacusis and decreased sound tolerance.
Decreased Sound Tolerance- Present when every day sounds cause a negative reaction. This includes most of the conditions listed below.
Hyperacusis- Present when every day sounds are perceived as being uncomfortably loud or cause physical pain. Negative reactions to sound caused by something other than uncomfortable loudness or pain (e.g. fear, distortion, tinnitus, annoyance) is
not defined as hyperacusis. Misuse of the term "hyperacusis" is common.
There is a push to replace the often misused "hyperacusis" with "pain hyperacusis" and "loudness hyperacusis" (Tyler 2014). This adds clarity to the meaning of the terms and splits into subtypes where detailed mechanisms will surely have differences. While these two types generally occur together, there is a portion of hyperacusis patients that present loudness hyperacusis without pain and a portion that present pain hyperacusis without increased loudness sensation.
Pain Hyperacusis- Present when sounds trigger pain in the ear below common pain thresholds (120 dB).
Loudness Hyperacusis- Present when moderately intense sounds are perceived as being uncomfortably loud.
The term
hearing sensitivity is discouraged as the meaning is ambiguous and it can inaccurately suggests the ability to detect sounds that others cannot hear.
Misophonia- Present when everyday sounds cause a negative
emotional reaction. Examples of emotions that can be triggered from sound include annoyance, rage and fear. Other researchers wish to drop usage of the term misophonia and instead split this into
fear hyperacusis and
annoyance hyperacusis in order to to simplify naming and make the terms easier to interpret by the general public.
Phonophobia- Present when everyday sounds cause fear (subset of misophonia). Other researchers wish to call this
fear hyperacusis in order to make the term easier to interpret by the general public. For some, this is more directly linked to a fear of re-injury or long-term setback.
Vestibular Hyperacusis- Present when everyday sounds induce disordered balance or vertigo. This is commonly referred to as
Tullio's Phenomenon.
Reactive Tinnitus- Present when everyday sounds increase tinnitus activity. This is not a term used in research literature but commonly used by tinnitus patients. Winding-up and
kindling are terms sometimes used to describe similar effects.
http://hyperacusisfocus.org/research/definitions/
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