Using household items to help with your tinnitus

Fans
Desktop fans usually make a whirring sound as their blades spin and they vibrate on whatever surface they are sitting on. Quite often the cheaper the fan, the louder the noise. You can expect to pay from about £15 upward for a fan. Try DIY stores or shops that sell electrical goods.
Radios
A radio tuned off-station in the frequency modulation (FM) band creates a "shhh"-type noise that is similar to white or pink noise.
Personal cassette and CD players
Personal cassette and CD players direct sound into the ears via headphones or earphones. Used at sensible volume levels they are perfect for sound enrichment. You can also use them to play tapes of white noise or relaxing sounds.
You could also listen to relaxation tapes and tapes of soothing sounds such as the sea or other sounds of nature. Talking books can be a relaxing and enjoyable way of taking your mind off your tinnitus. Tapes are available in bookshops, record shops and occasionally health or "new age" shops.

Can I use household equipment to help manage my tinnitus?

You can use ordinary household equipment to help your tinnitus, such as:
fans
radios
personal DVD, cassette and CD players
fountains.

Pillow speakers

Pillow speakers do not actually generate sound themselves. Instead you connect them to a sound source of your choice, such as a tape, DVD or CD player, radio, hi-fi or television. You slip the pillow speaker under your pillow and you can then listen to your choice of sound without having to wear headphones or earphones. As the sound comes through the pillow, it will not disturb other people providing the volume is at the right level.
If your bedside clock radio has a sleep or snooze button you can plug the pillow speaker into it and listen to it until it turns itself off. This means you can go to sleep without leaving the radio on all night. Pillow speakers are not designed to go under your mattress.
The Sound Pillow is a pillow with stereo speakers buried inside. You can connect it to any sound source and so listen to a sound of your choice.

Bedside Noise Generators

Bedside or desktop noise generators
These noise generators are freestanding and either have a built-in speaker and/or plug-in headphones, a speaker that goes under your pillow, or an in-the-ear receiver. They give out a range of soothing sounds such as light rain, a waterfall, a bubbling brook or birdsong. You can buy a range of additional sounds for many models.

What do they cost?
They cost from £20 to £65.

How much do werable noise generators cost?

Where can I get them and what do they cost?
You can get ITE and BTE models, combination instruments and "shoes" as part of NHS tinnitus treatment in hospital, where they should be free.
You can also buy them privately from hearing aid dispensers and consultants, but they can be expensive. If you are thinking of buying one, look for a hearing aid dispenser who offers you a trial period of at least 30 days. This will give you time to test out the noise generator in a wide range of settings to make sure it will be of some benefit to you.
In-the-canal noise generators don't need a personal fitting, and so cost a lot less. Some NHS hospitals supply them. You can also buy them privately from private dispensers or by mail order from companies such as PureTone.If you are thinking of buying privately you will get more from your noise generator if you buy it as part of a tinnitus management programme. Prices for sound generators start from £150, but you may be able to claim back VAT if you go through your GP or hospital.

Noise generators available

Wearable noise generators look like hearing aids. There are several types available:
In-the-canal (ITC) models fit inside the ear canal.
In-the-ear (ITE) models sit at the entrance of the ear canal.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) models are worn behind the ear. Sound reaches your ear via a plastic tube and ear mould. They are also known as "post-aural" models.
Combination instruments are combined hearing aid and noise generators.
A noise generator "shoe" is an attachment on certain models of hearing aid, which makes a combination instrument.

Wearable noise generators

Wearable noise generators
Wearable noise generators have been known by various names in the past, including tinnitus maskers, white noise generators, wide band noise generators, retrainers or blockers. They all produce a soothing "shhh" sound known as "white noise" or "pink noise". Pink noise is slightly richer and less shrill than white noise. Both types consist of a mix of high, middle and low sound frequencies.
Some specialists recommend wearing the generators for a few hours each day and at times when the tinnitus is particularly troublesome. Other specialists think that people who use wearable noise generators should wear them all the time when they are awake.
If you wear the generators often it will increase the chances of habituation (this is when you become less aware of your tinnitus and eventually only notice it when you focus on it). However, if you find the noise generators irritate you then you will not help your tinnitus and may make it worse.
In the past, wearable noise generators were set at a level that was so loud it blocked out the tinnitus. These days they are set at a level that is either just below or at the same pitch as your tinnitus.

Sound generators and Tinnitus

How can noise and sound generators help me with tinnitus?
Sound and noise generators can help you manage and live with tinnitus and hyperacusis (sensitivity to noise). They are forms of sound enrichment. Sound enrichment is a vital part of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). Noise generators are also used in neurophysiologically based management (NBM), which is similar to TRT but may not include all parts of it.

What kind of equipment is available for people with tinnitus?
Sound and noise generators developed specifically for people with tinnitus include:
wearable noise generators
bedside or desktop noise generators
pillow speakers.