Tinnitus can be a complex condition. Sometimes, the ringing in the ears is temporary and may even disappear on its own. However, in cases where the root cause is unknown, the symptoms can persist, impacting work, school, interpersonal relationships, and overall well-being.
Chronic tinnitus often requires long-term treatment to make the symptoms more manageable and improve the quality of life. While there is no known cure for tinnitus, various treatment approaches, such as hearing aid technology and healthy lifestyle choices, can help reduce its severity.
Sound therapy is one of the most effective treatment methods for tinnitus symptoms, and is an inexpensive way to promote habituation. Experts believe that over time, even patients with the most severe tinnitus can learn to live with or even overcome its side effects.
What Is Sound Therapy?
If you think using sound to help ease the ringing in your ears seems a little counterintuitive, you’re not alone. Many of those with tinnitus who are just learning to navigate managing their condition are often skeptical of sound therapy as an effective modality for symptom management.
Simply put, sound therapy is the use of sounds, music, and other auditory stimuli to normalize noise and ease the psychosomatic impact of regular ringing in the ears. Like other forms of sensory therapy, sound therapy can have many benefits beyond tinnitus care alone. When used to treat tinnitus, it is meant to reduce the contrast between the internal tinnitus sound and external stimuli (environmental sounds).
"As a recent graduate who’s achieved stage four habituation, I cannot thank Treble Health enough for getting me to the finish line."
"As a recent graduate who’s achieved stage four habituation, I cannot thank Treble Health enough for getting me to the finish line."
– Louis
Book a free consultation to learn which Treble Health solution is right for you. Join Louis and thousands more who have found lasting tinnitus relief.
Sound therapy is most useful when combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This forms the basis of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) —the gold standard for tinnitus treatment. About 80% of tinnitus patients experience some type of improvement after being exposed to TRT techniques. The purpose of this treatment is to teach the brain to ignore the tinnitus sound by distracting/soothing it with sounds while reducing stress, and other cognitive effects through traditional talk therapy.
This type of treatment is provided under the guidance of a trained audiologist and can be administered as needed outside of a medical setting. Sound therapy is also one of the most budget-friendly options, with a wide range of delivery methods, and sounds to choose from.
Best Tinnitus Sounds Of 2024
Finding the right sounds for sound therapy is usually a trial-and-error process. Some sounds work better than others for managing tinnitus, and what works for one patient might not for another. The most popular sounds include white noise, nature sounds, and classical music, but any sound can be useful if applied properly. Many of our patients enjoy these customized options:
- Cricket sounds – High frequency, fluctuating, and shifting noise with a variety of background sounds to calm the mind and block out tinnitus sound.
- Shimmer sounds – Calming, soothing sound for sleep disturbances, and relieving tension.
- Pink noise – Unlike white noise, pink noise uses reduced higher frequencies for a more stimulating, yet soothing sound therapy.
- Ocean waves – Natural real-sound positive association with seaside experiences have proven useful for tinnitus patients experiencing sleep difficulties.
Just about any sound can be used in sound therapy, as long as it helps to mask or lessen the tinnitus. Dr. Susan Shore, an expert in the field, uses frogs in her tinnitus treatment as a unique, mid to high-frequency sound option. Other familiar sounds, like a crackling fire can calm the mind, and help the body relax and wind down at nighttime. Your audiologist can help you find a sound that matches your tinnitus needs.
Sound Therapy Options
Sound therapy is most effective when the treatment is customized to each patient’s tinnitus. There are a variety of sound therapy options available, all with their own sets of advantages, and disadvantages. As a general rule of thumb, however, patients should avoid covering the ear canals completely during treatment. An audiologist can help you decide the best option for you.
Wearable devices are portable, and usually discreet, making them ideal for daytime activities, but have limited battery lives. Sound generators are low-cost alternatives that may not be convenient to travel with but can help reduce insomnia and stress. Tinnitus apps and websites offer the most accessible sound therapy options, where patients can take treatment into their own hands.
Wearable Devices
Wearable devices deliver sound therapy on the go, outside of a clinical setting. These are usually the most costly forms of treatment and are typically used under the guidance of an audiologist in a long-term treatment plan.
The Widex Sound Therapy device is a popular option that fits snugly behind the ear. Widex is the world’s sixth-largest hearing aid manufacturer and a pioneer in tinnitus treatment and hearing health technology. Their wearable sound therapy devices can support your treatment in the background while you go about your day once programmed by your audiologist.
Patients who’ve had success with this device like it because it’s small, lightweight, and discreet. It can deliver passive sound therapy customized to patient needs, whether those be Zen fractal tones, the Widex SoundRelax feature (which is a mix of nature sounds plus the Zen tones), or other custom sounds via Bluetooth.
Other hearing aid manufacturers like Phonak and Starkey offer tinnitus settings to deliver sound therapy while wearing the hearing device. These devices are programmed with customized tinnitus sounds to treat hearing loss and tinnitus simultaneously and require a prescription. Treating any hearing loss is generally useful for helping your brain to reduce tinnitus sounds. Hearing aids amplify the sound signals that become distorted when hearing health (and other factors) decline and can deliver useful sound therapy at the same time.
The Neosensory Duo device is a wristband that uses bimodal stimulation to treat tinnitus. The sound therapy is delivered via a phone’s speaker or hearing aid and is synched to vibratory motors located on the wrist. These wristbands can cost over $1,000, but offer a rent-to-own option for interested patients. Though discreet, the wristband can react to background noise and deliver random vibrations.
Sound Generators/Machines
Sound generators are used to introduce sounds in quiet environments like a bedroom, or an office that lack sufficient auditory stimuli. They help create the sound-rich environment necessary to promote habituation and improve tinnitus symptoms, with/without the help of an audiologist, as most don’t require a prescription. These devices play in the background and can be useful both during the day and at nighttime when tinnitus symptoms are usually more bothersome. Generally, sound machines are plugged into a wall socket, but they can come in unique forms, like pillow speakers, bimodal stimulation devices, and adhesive bone-conduction speakers.
The Sound Oasis Sound Machine comes programmed with 20 sounds and can stream other sounds from tinnitus apps on a smartphone. Sound machines can be used to address insomnia and help tinnitus patients fall asleep more easily. These operate independently of a smartphone, offering constant, low-level sound enrichment without blocking the ear canals.
Sleep headbands are another option that involves wearable speakers that deliver sound therapy during sleep. Most sleep headbands are Bluetooth-capable and can stream curated tinnitus sounds at ear level.
Neuromod’s Lenire device is a newer device with much promise – it uses bimodal stimulation to treat tinnitus. This device features a pair of headphones and a mouthpiece, which deliver treatment during daily hour-long sessions over the course of 10 weeks.
Bone conduction headphones are less reliable than other sound therapy devices, but worth considering. They leave the ear canals open and deliver the sound therapy via bone conduction. Unlike the other wearable devices on this list, bone conduction headphones rely on Bluetooth and are less effective when the battery life is low, and sound quality drops. They’re not generally recommended as a long-term option for tinnitus patients but have been useful in the past.
Tinearity by Duearity utilizes bone conduction technology via two sound generators that sit behind the ear using sticky pads. These leave the ear canals open and are “stick-and-play” for 6-8 hours a day, for 6-24 months. Patients can only get Tinearity from an audiologist, and they usually start at about $2,500.
Apps/Websites
Apps and websites can deliver low-cost sound therapy, but if this isn’t under the guidance of an audiologist, it may not be as effective as the other options listed. Treble Health’s Tinnitus Relief Web App was curated by our team of tinnitus experts, and patients can access custom sound therapy tracks, as well as educational materials and guided therapy anywhere, at any time.
Most hearing aids with tinnitus features are controlled with an app, such as Phonak’s Tinnitus Balance and Oticon’s Tinnitus SoundSupport. Other patients have varying levels of success with tinnitus web and mobile apps such as myNoise, Resound Relief, Naturespace, and T-Minus.
Find Lasting Tinnitus Relief With Treble Health
When tinnitus is managed and treated properly, anyone can enjoy a high quality of life, free from its disturbances. Sound therapy is one way patients learn to live with, and even overcome their tinnitus. When combined with counseling and the right support, this can offer a long-term solution for chronic tinnitus.
To learn more about our treatment approach and if it’s right for you, we encourage you to schedule a complimentary telehealth consultation with an expert on our team. During this 20-minute Zoom call, you will have a chance to discuss your case, ask any questions that you may have, and learn about the best treatment options for your personal situation. Don’t put off tinnitus treatment any longer — schedule a free consultation today and start your journey to finding tinnitus relief and peace of mind.
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