LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Tinnitus: Tinnitus Maskers
built 814 days ago
For patients who are greatly bothered by tinnitus, they may use some masking techniques such as listening to a fan or radio that would mask some of their tinnitus. In addition, other sound source generators can be obtained and be adjusted to sound-like environmental sounds and this is ... effective in masking tinnitus. This generally is more advantageous if one is attempting to go to sleep. A tinnitus masker is utilized in some patients. It is a small electronic instrument built into a hearing aid case. It generates a noise that prevents the wearer from hearing his own head noise.
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"Masking" tinnitus involves partially or completely covering up the tinnitus sounds with other sounds from an external source. In fact, masking raises the threshold of the perception of tinnitus when an external source is presented. In clinical settings, masking is accomplished through the use of wearable noise generators (maskers) or "tinnitus instruments", which are wearable units that function both as a hearing aid and masker. Dr. Jack Vernon and his colleagues at the Oregon Hearing Research Center in Portland introduced the priniciples and concepts behind masking which helped improve the quality of life for literally millions of tinnitus suffers. Costs for masking instruments are based on each case.
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Maskers are based on the idea that tinnitus is usually worse when things are very quiet. Listening to the interstation static on the FM radio, tapes of ocean surf, and the like may be helpful. Pillow speakers may be helpful in order to avoid disturbing others. Tinnitus maskers are fitted and sold by audiologists. However, controlled studies of maskers have failed to clearly demonstrate efficacy.
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Maskers [A]re based on the idea that tinnitus is usually worst when things are very quiet. Listening to the interstation static on the FM radio, tapes of ocean surf, fans, and the like may be helpful. Pillow speakers sold by Radio Shack may be helpful in order to avoid disturbing others. This is a very cheap method.
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The search for a medical solution to combat tinnitus has no clear ending in sight, but the use of the tinnitus maskers has greatly improved. However, there is one surgical method which can stop the tinnitus sounds by implanting small electrodes in the cochlea and stimulating it with small electrical charges. Unfortunately this is only possible for those who have a total hearing loss, as the procedure destroys the hearing mechanism.
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Treatment of tinnitus is possible but can be frustrating due to low to moderate success rates with almost all treatments. In up to half of cases, CEI professionals may improve or alleviate the tinnitus with one or a combination of several therapies. Therapeutic options include a range of options from oral medications, hearing device / tinnitus maskers, up to surgery.
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Tinnitus Maskers