Frequency therapy for tinnitus utilizes external sounds to mask or subdue your tinnitus and measures its success based on how effectively this can happen.
Recently, patients suffering from tinnitus reported significant improvement after four months of listening to customized suppressive noise spectrums tailored specifically for them. Results included shifting frequency and reduction in handicap as measured by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory.
Notch Therapy
If you suffer from tonal tinnitus, Notch Therapy could offer relief. This technique involves inaudibly suppressing its sound with an audio signal that matches its pitch; according to theory, your brain should recognize it as background noise and eventually ignore it – unlike ocean wave or static noise sound therapies which distract patients with sounds that do not match their tinnitus symptoms.
Studies conducted to test this theory found that when notched sound is presented at the same frequency as tinnitus, the brain can effectively suppress it and focus on regular audio stimuli like speech or music instead. Notch Therapy may also be combined with Signia’s hearing aid range for maximum success.
A hearing care clinician creates a frequency plot spectrogram in hearing aid programming settings and adds a notch that matches tinnitus tone to an individual program. The notch should only be about 0.5 octaves wide so as not to interfere with speech understanding or normal amplification; plus this therapy is available across all hearing aid programs for maximum individualization of therapy.
After three months, patients fitted with hearing aids that featured built-in notch therapy showed significant reductions in both the volume of their tinnitus and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (TQ52) scores – two key measures that indicate whether treatment has worked.
Notch Therapy can also assist the user to hear previously missed sounds – this could include people’s voices, deeper layers in musical tracks or ambient noise from nature.
As long-term therapy is used, the sound of tinnitus could become part of background noise, potentially freeing patients from having to actively think about managing it and thus leading to better sleep, concentration and overall well-being. This would constitute an effective cure that could eventually enable them to stop using therapy altogether – this would provide them with freedom from having to actively control it – an effect which would provide relief without having to actively think about managing tinnitus in their daily life.
Binaural Beats
German physicist Heinrich Willhelm Dove discovered during the 18th century that playing different frequencies simultaneously through headphones can create “binaural beats.” These beats are created when different tones differing in pitch are played at once and tuned simultaneously with beat frequencies, creating sound created as the difference between carrier tone being played and beat frequency; our brain then responds by adapting its rhythms accordingly – impacting how we perceive tinnitus.
Binaural beats have been demonstrated to enhance memory, attention and mood through scientific studies. Furthermore, they’re thought to help relieve stress, anxiety and pain as well as improving cognitive function and creativity – although their efficacy remains to be tested on only small numbers of participants so far.
Binaural beats have been used for millennia to induce trance-like states during religious rituals in various cultures around the world. Modern technology now enables us to record and play back these sounds to study their effects on the brain.
Scientists conducted an experiment using electroencephalography (EEG), and played a 6-Hz binaural beat using a 250 Hz carrier tone in one ear while at the same time playing an offset tone of 256 Hz to the right ear of participants in order to record brainwave responses to each stimulus and see which was most responsive in each brainwave response analysis session. They observed differences in participants’ responses when hearing either stimulus.
Binaural beats may have the power to significantly enhance your tinnitus experience and enhance quality of life; however, their use has yet to be approved by the FDA and they may not work for everyone.
Recent research revealed that patients suffering from tinnitus experienced significantly less anxiety after listening to the 6-Hz binaural beat stimulus than control group participants. Anxiety can negatively impact one’s ability to complete tasks, make decisions, and participate in social activities – something tinnitus patients are especially concerned about as it impedes them in participating in daily activities they enjoy.
Brainwave Entrainment
Brainwave Entrainment (Be) is one of the more sophisticated frequency therapy techniques for treating tinnitus. It uses flashes of light and pulses of tones to direct brainwave activity into specific states that may help treat psychological or physiological disorders. Sometimes referred to as Audio Visual Entrainment (AVE), but can also be performed without an audio component.
Binaural beats is the most widely practiced form of brainwave entrainment. This involves playing two distinct audible tones into each ear at slightly differing frequencies; your brain interprets this difference as an inaudible beat, synchronizing its waves to match it, which is known as brainwave entrainment or frequency following response in scientific terminology.
Research has demonstrated how sounds with different frequency ranges can have an influence over our moods and emotions, especially the slow rhythmic tempo sounds are associated with feelings of calmness and relaxation – this could be useful to tinnitus sufferers as stress and anxiety can increase our tinnitus intensity levels; additionally, physical tension reduction helps lower cortisol levels which in turn decreases our tinnitus severity levels.
Brainwave entrainment tracks provide powerful relief from tinnitus when used properly, especially alpha brainwave sounds which allow users to relax into a pleasant state of awareness that increases overall feelings of inner well being.
Alpha brainwaves may provide some distraction, making it easier to concentrate on other activities. By contrast, higher beta waves lead to a more alert mental state which can aid memory retention as well as helping you enter meditative states more quickly.
Brainwave entrainment is simple to use and can be done anytime and anywhere. For maximum effect, listen to brainwave entrainment tracks for at least 30 minutes in order to reap all of the benefits available to you.
Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy is a form of frequency therapy that employs soothing or relaxing sounds to mask tinnitus. The goal of sound therapy is to take the pressure off by diverting attention away from its noises so you can concentrate on other tasks more easily. You can find sound therapy solutions available as bedside generators (like white noise or pink noise generators) or hearing aids that deliver customized sounds directly into your ears; one such example of this would be Otoharmonics Levo system which delivers soothing tones through customized in-ear headphones while sleeping.
Sound therapy can be an extremely effective treatment option for tinnitus, but requires some commitment in your daily routine to make the most of its potential benefits. Results often become apparent within just a few sessions and continue to get better as time progresses. Your audiologist can recommend specific types of sounds you might try; other resources may also exist online or through streaming services; the ideal one will depend on both the type of tinnitus being experienced as well as any personal preferences you have.
Dependent upon the frequency and intensity of your tinnitus, you may wish to experiment with various levels of sound intensity and volume. Some find it best to completely mask their tinnitus; others prefer more subdued sounds that allow them to work and relax comfortably. Finding something suitable should take precedence over creating schedules for using sound therapy every day; make time each day for this process of self-healing.
An audiologist may also advise making lifestyle adjustments to manage stress, reduce exposure to loud noises and improve sleeping patterns. Although these strategies can help manage tinnitus symptoms, sound therapy and counseling with qualified specialists who specialize in dealing with hyperacusis is the most effective treatment approach.
Frequency therapy is an effective solution for managing tinnitus, and most people find it helpful. Your audiologist will assist in selecting which approach is most suited to your specific circumstances and ensure you can get maximum benefit out of treatment.
