What apps are useful for tinnitus?

i use the built in zen tones on my widex hearing aids

i also really like certain nature sounds (crickets and frogs) which i loop from apple music

i have the starkey and widex apps but never use them as i don’t really like much that they offer since they are mainly simple sounds and i prefer complex sounds

never heard of the app you mention, are you paying the in-app subscription ? in my currency, it is close to $200 a year

i have had tinnitus for 25 years and seen it all, i am highly skeptical that they are gaining clinical success with only 15 minutes a day

has this app actually helped you ?

I have a single-tone type of tinnitus and am always afraid to try ANY kind of noise to blank it out. Next thing I know, that very sound is playing through my mind.

It’s the same with listening to vocal music (way more than instrumental!). If I play a favorite artist, I’ve got maybe 1 or 2 songs playing like an endless earworm for DAYS and DAYS.

Someone once said playing “Yellow Submarine” wipes everything else out … but the thought of that song playing endlessly in my mind is truly scary.

@frogman said:

widex uses fractal zen tones that are auto generated and are not in any way memorable, much like white or brown noise or rain sounds etc

I did a Widex trial about 3 yrs ago and tried out the Zen fractal tones - they were LOVELY! It would be interesting to see if playing a competing, low volume tone would have any impact on my constant, 24x7 tinnitus tone!

Hey, I just surfed up to this site with a keyboard simulator24, and find that my tinnitus appears to be the G4 key, LOL!

i finally am now using the zen tones every day now (about 10 days) even though i have had the ha for about two years

they are really very helpful, if i have them off which i do for short periods during the day as i switch technology or have the aids out, i notice that my awareness of tinnitus spikes

they are designed to be used for a very long stretch, like 6 months at least

this was a very interesting interview with robert sweetow who is a well known physician in the tinnitus community, he talks about the zen tones and basically says that his research with a small test group was very positive … widex is hawking the video, i have no idea if they bankrolled the study, but again, in my own experience, they are very helpful

the study did indeed include comparing the zen tones to other sounds like broadband for example

Stumbled on this:

Tinnitus Neuromodulator — Free Tinnitus Masker36

De-stressing and pushing your tinnitus out of your mind are probably among the best pieces of advice you can get. Tinnitus can jump in and play with your nerves, you need to stop letting it do so and teach your brain to tune it out.

I have tinnitus. I do not find it bothering me during the day much. Usually in evening. Now that I’m specifically thinking about it, I’m not sure if it bothers me while my HAs are on or not. But I think it does.

In the end, based on the conversations here, I presume none of the things that help will work once HAs are off and going to bed.

Any thoughts or further information?

The Zen Tinnitus app from Widex is a phone app that has different background sound that help with Tinnitus. It features a sleep mode so that you can turn it on while you go to sleep and it will turn off after a set time.

Jim

I use a Brookstone ambient sound generator that I sent away for many years ago. It has a headphone output that can be attached to the TV Connector input and I can let it lull me to sleep, invigorate me, help me concentrate… you name it. It has a dozen different sounds that can be tweaked to your liking. But these days it seems that I have gotten so used to the tinnitus sounds that if they should suddenly quit, I would probably find that to be even more upsetting.

I stream an internet electronic music radio station at low volume throughout the house, except bedroom. I find the “chill” stream with no vocals and a gentle modulating tones and low beat rate helps me. The songs are so minimal that they don’t get stuck in my mind. The station I use, and pay for is called Friskyradio. I use an old iPhone as a streaming device connected via aux cable to my ancient audio receiver.

From The Guardian, today:

“There are a number of ways of managing [tinnitus], including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This helps people to reduce their emotional connection to the sound, allowing the brain to learn to tune it out. However, CBT can be expensive and difficult for people to access.”
(…)
“Researchers have created an app, called MindEar, that provides CBT through a chatbot with other approaches such as sound therapy.”

The research is published here:

Frontiers | Delivery of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy combined...

BackgroundWhile there is no cure for tinnitus, research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in managing clinical sequelae. Althoug...

“The team are about to launch a larger clinical trial of the app with University College London (UCL) hospital.”

“The app is not the first of is kind. Among others is the Oto tinnitus app, which is the subject of a large clinical trial in the UK.”

News on tinnitus and hearing loss treatments: