Tinnitus Week 2018 / Day 4: Do You Use Apps to Manage Your Tinnitus? If So, Which Ones and Why?

[Tinnitus Talk]

Apps are ubiquitous - do you use any app, such as something that provides sound enrichment, to manage your tinnitus? According to our recent survey (2,046 respondents), 60% have used a mobile app to manage their tinnitus. We'd love to know which apps you use and why.

Comment below. You can also respond to our Facebook post.

 

[Ozchatnoir]

I use the Re-Sound app at night and listen to Enchanted Forest. Have done for months since I got onto it. Definitely helps me to sleep as the ticking is pretty bad at night when I don't have the hearing aids in.

 

[Samir]

I have tested the following apps.

Beltone Tinnitus Calmer
Oticon Tinnitus Sound
Phonak Tinnitus Balance
Tinnitus Therapy Tunes
Tonal Tinnitus Therapy

My favorites are the Oticon and Beltone apps.

 

[derpytia]

I use a windows phone app called Rain O Rain that plays a variety of sounds including this particular crickets in a forest soundscape that helps me sleep

 

[carlover]

No but at night if things get too bad I use the masker in my hearing aids

 

[Dana]

I did not, but after learning about them from the other members who answered and found them useful, i am tempted to try them and maybe i will use them is the future.

 

[glynis]

I don't no more.
But loved music called The Healer by Semus Byrne.

 

[.bill]

Nothing at all

 

[John Doe]

When I first got tinnitus, I tried to use apps and videos to mask the noise, but soon stopped because it felt like an unnecessary hassle for my (mild?) case. I also figure that I get distracted/annoyed easily with too much auditory stimulation, which would also explain why I prefer to sleep in complete silence.

 

[Summers2]

mynoise.net
calmyleon.com
Trying to get https://tinnitusnotch.com/ to work.
Also white noise from my radio

 

[AZmom]

I love the "Relax Melodies" app that a member recommended in a previous post. You can combine all kinds of different sounds and control the volume of each sound in the combined melody. I sleep with a "Pink Noise for Sleeping" app which is loopable. I use it more to block out sounds from the neighborhood that might wake me up.

 

[Akk]

I used iOS app "hearing help" before I got my hearing aid. According to my ENT (specialiced to tinnitus) told that when using that app three months (4-5 hours per day) it should reduce my tinnitus (caused by hearing loss). Yes, it worked when it was used, like real hearing aid, but when not used tinnitus was back to normal level.

 

[Ambassador]

Phonak Tinnitus Balance app, I wear Phonak hearing aids
Simply Rain
I have a small collection of clips that I can play in a loop, nature sounds, notched therapy and acoustic neuromodulation.
I am not currently using sounds but do as necessary.

 

[Tinker Bell]

I use the ReSound app, too. I tried quite a few until stumbling across the cricket sounds on ReSound. I connect the app to a Bose bluetooth speaker and it has been wonderful, very good quality and easy to move throughout my home.

Another app that I like is the NIOSH decibel monitor. It gives me peace of mind by assuring me that I am in a safe environment. Struggling with hyperacisus in the initial months, I felt that I was a poor judge of volume. I would think an environment was 100dB, only to run my decibel app and see that it was only 70dB. As my anxiety has improved, I have become a better judge and use the app only once or twice a month now.

 

[Dive Master]

Tried many "nature" sounds apps but some are repetitive ad nauseam (the sounds loop again and again). Very irritating. I sleep with windows wide opened and focus on outside noises. Day sounds usually mask my T, now, and now only (after nearly 4 years).

 

[Starthrower]

First, thank you Marku for your comment in the significant other thread. I wasn't sure if I could or should comment there.

Regarding different apps. I am unable to use anything digital in nature via headsets. I have the same reaction towards florsecent lighting. I cannot talk on the phone for more than a half-hour and need to use something like a rolled up cotton ball in my ear to keep whatever it is in that type of digital being directly in my ear.

So I do not use apps. But have to make my own type of recording using ummm...tapes. I use music for specific instrumental reasons and also vocal duets. I have a whole system I worked out and still use.

I wish that digital tone could be different. I have nerve damage that cannot be repaired but over the years has healed somewhat.

 

[Cheza]

No apps, but in the first couple years I streamed from myNoise.net. Absolutely love Flying Fortress. I listen to it now for the sheer enjoyment. Same for Distant Thunder. Nocturnal garden was great for soothing my nerves when the screeching cicadas in my head became overwhelming.

 

[Betsy girl]

relax melodies is just brilliant and when times are tough it's the only thing that got me through

 

[BobK544]

I used notched file therapy for about 2 weeks and it reduced by "tonal" tinnitus quite a bit, but i've yet to find a notch file frequency that helps my high pitched hissing T and i've tried 6 different HZs from 8500 to 14k without much effect, but reducing the "tonal" T was a great benefit as the high pitched screeching tea pot sounds were pushing me towards the deep end!

 

[Sonic17]

Yes, I love using these apps:

Deep Sleep
Rain Sounds
White Noise
myNoise

All great apps for free; I mostly like the nature sounds for sleeping (waterfalls, rain, ocean waves) and white noise for day time if needed.

 

[The pizza man]

I use sound enrichment at night when my tinnitus is real bad. I have a pillow with speakers that is hooked up to a white machine. It has lots of sounds to choose from. I like the waves with cricket, bird and bell buoy sounds. Sometimes it helps me to get to sleep. But other times I still just get up and try what else to do to get tired and get to sleep. That's why I'm here on my computer now

 

[Berik]

Sound enrichment at night; "Alexa: play whitenoise!"

 

[HarrCohen]

I use the White Noise app. I've tried most of the others mentioned in this post, but White Noise works best for me. It has a variety of "white noises" and the "pink noise" does the best job of masking. There are also many other noise. White Noise offers a free version, but I paid $0.99 to get rid of the ads. The paid version also provides a timer, which I use at night.
During the day, I use "invisible" ear buds available on Amazon. There are a few different brands which range from $12 to $20. Very few people notice that I'm using the ear buds, so they are ideal for work and social situations. See here and here for single ear buds, and here for a pair of ear buds.

I use an iPod Touch (an iPhone without the phone) because it lasts for at least 8 hours when it's playing the white noise.

 

[Jaylee R]

I love the "Relax Melodies" app on my iPhone. You can click on the tiles for sounds, and make your own combos of sounds.
There are 5 types of rain, there's traffic, birds, frogs, night crickets, cat purring (!), melodies, chants, wind, waters, and a section of meditations too. You can set a timer for it to stop.

 

[janeagain]

I use and Android App called "Calm." It has melodies on a loop (which I only listen during the day). It also has something called "scenes" I listen to one called "rain on leaves." It puts me to sleep even when my T has got really bad (very loud high pitch noise). This scene has no music, only water falling.

 

[Pero1234]

I don't no more.
But loved music called The Healer by Semus Byrne.

Thanks for the tip @glynis !

 

[Frédéric]

Evidence of Mobile Applications in Otolaryngology Targeted at Patients

Editorial to accompany publication of AOR-20-0321.R1—Mobile applications in otolaryngology: a systematic review of the literature, apple app store, and the google play store

Trecca, Eleonora; Lonigro, Antonio; Gelardi, Matteo; Kim, Brandon; Cassano, Michele.

Mobile technology is increasingly used in healthcare ("mobile health") and will continue to transform the field significantly. Already, numerous mobile applications (apps) are available. Many mobile apps have been developed to serve as reference tools for healthcare professionals including otolaryngologists, but the vast majority of mobile apps are targeted directly at patients. These apps offer everything from tracking and monitoring of the patient's own health data, communication with the patient's healthcare provider, to self-diagnosis and even treatment. In this largely unregulated field, clinicians will increasingly encounter patients who have used mobile apps.

In this issue of Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, Trecca et al present "Mobile applications in otolaryngology: a systematic review of the literature, apple app store, and the google play store." In their review, they map both the current landscape of otolaryngology mobile apps targeted at patients by searching major mobile app stores as well as the supporting evidence for these mobile apps in the published scientific literature. They further appraise the quality of these mobile apps using an established mobile app rating scale (MARS) that considers engagement, functionality, esthetics, and information. The authors found just over a thousand mobile apps within otolaryngology that include for example audiometry, tinnitus management, posturography, sleep recording and analysis, and allergy symptom logbooks.

In contrast to the plethora of available apps, the literature search yielded <200 relevant papers on mobile apps in otolaryngology with only 33 studies aimed at validating specific mobile apps. There is an apparent discrepancy between the number of mobile apps in our field and their scientific support. The authors found many apps of questionable quality and few were developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Many of the most popular apps are free and are easier to find because of the many reviews and downloads in contrast to the few scientifically validated apps. The authors emphasize that FDA regulations can be circumvented if the app is categorized as a "lifestyle" app instead of a "medical" app.

Mobile apps have the potential to reach an extensive number of patients, however, a critical approach to the information and results presented by most of these apps is needed. As highlighted by this review, mobile health in otolaryngology—especially mobile apps targeted at patients—requires much more research. As clinicians, we will need up-to-date knowledge on mobile apps in our field to have educated conversations with our patients. This systematic review serves as an excellent point of reference and also provides an overview of which mobile apps have some degree of validity.

Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0003489420951113

 

[Frédéric]

Smartphone and Mobile Health Apps for Tinnitus: Systematic Identification, Analysis, and Assessment

Background: Modern smartphones contain sophisticated high-end hardware features, offering high computational capabilities at extremely manageable costs and have undoubtedly become an integral part in users' daily life. Additionally, smartphones offer a well-established ecosystem that is easily discoverable and accessible via the marketplaces of differing mobile platforms, thus encouraging the development of many smartphone apps. Such apps are not exclusively used for entertainment purposes but are also commonplace in health care and medical use. A variety of those health and medical apps exist within the context of tinnitus, a phantom sound perception in the absence of any physical external source.

Objective: In this paper, we shed light on existing smartphone apps addressing tinnitus by providing an up-to-date overview.

Methods: Based on PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched and identified existing smartphone apps on the most prominent app markets, namely Google Play Store and Apple App Store. In addition, we applied the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to evaluate and assess the apps in terms of their general quality and in-depth user experience.

Results: Our systematic search and screening of smartphone apps yielded a total of 34 apps (34 Android apps, 26 iOS apps). The mean MARS scores (out of 5) ranged between 2.65-4.60. The Tinnitus Peace smartphone app had the lowest score (mean 2.65, SD 0.20), and Sanvello—Stress and Anxiety Help had the highest MARS score (mean 4.60, SD 0.10). The interrater agreement was substantial (Fleiss κ=0.74), the internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach α=.95), and the interrater reliability was found to be both high and excellent—Guttman λ6=0.94 and intraclass correlation, ICC(2,k) 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.97), respectively.

Conclusions: This work demonstrated that there exists a plethora of smartphone apps for tinnitus. All of the apps received MARS scores higher than 2, suggesting that they all have some technical functional value. However, nearly all identified apps were lacking in terms of scientific evidence, suggesting the need for stringent clinical validation of smartphone apps in future. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to systematically identify and evaluate smartphone apps within the context of tinnitus.

Full article: https://mhealth.jmir.org/2020/8/e21767/