Tinnitus: What frequency? Found any relief?

wim

I can't say how severe my tinnitus is compared to normal. It's always there, but most of the time I'm not conscious of it. It never disturbs my sleep. I definitely have much to be thankful for after reading others experiences.

What I came to say though is, the instant I even read the title of this thread, I notice it 100%. 😂

Gavinski

.> @Phil999 said:

@Poppadocrock
What’s fascinating is how the brain works. Basically the brain compensates for any difference or change in hearing with tinnitus. your brain is used to hearing the world in a certain way, over many years of your life, so if there are changes to that hearing, for any reason, the brain try’s to compensate and readjust to the new “level of hearing” by creating tinnitus.

Well observed. Indeed hearing loss and tinnitus is a compensation by nature.

Sir George Martin, the famous producer, has hearing loss in certain frequencies. Even by specialists it is difficult to explain the exact cause. However, it is imaginable of how this hearing loss started. As a producer, one has to listen to a mix again and again, and sometimes provide the final mix the next day. And many of us know: even the most exquisite song can become boring after listening too many times. The brain, and the psyche, prevents the human from more detrimental influences, and simply reduces the hearing ability.

Tinnitus appears and disappears in a similar way. Unfortunately it is difficult to trace down. Theoretically tinnitus is reversible. But practically it is often not possible to change the job, the environment, the place one is living, etc. One has to deal with it. But, in probability rather rare cases, when a change in the auditory environment is possible, tinnitus goes away.

Good luck.

This is very interesting. I asked ChatGPT for a few more ideas on this. Not fact checked but intriguing:

“ Yes, the idea that certain frequencies could both cause and potentially reverse tinnitus is related to neuromodulation and sound therapy, both of which are active areas of tinnitus research. While there’s no universal cure, some approaches using targeted frequencies have shown promise in reducing or even eliminating tinnitus for some people.

How Would Frequency-Based Reversal Work?

1.  Notched Sound Therapy – If tinnitus is linked to a specific frequency, some therapies attempt to suppress it by playing sound that is notched (i.e., removing the tinnitus frequency). This method aims to retrain the brain by reducing its focus on the phantom sound. This is based on the idea of neural plasticity—the brain can adapt and rewire its auditory pathways over time.
2.  Bimodal Stimulation (Sound + Electrical Stimulation) – Some modern treatments, like Lenire and similar devices, use a combination of specific sound frequencies along with electrical stimulation (e.g., tongue or vagus nerve stimulation) to retrain the brain’s response to tinnitus.
3.  Residual Inhibition – In some cases, playing a sound at or near the tinnitus frequency for a short period can temporarily suppress tinnitus. This effect is called residual inhibition. While this suppression is often temporary, repeated exposure may have a longer-lasting impact.
4.  Neuromodulation Using Specific Tones – Some researchers believe that playing alternating high and low frequencies (or a specific pattern of frequencies that disrupts the tinnitus “feedback loop”) can help reduce symptoms. This is the basis of therapies like Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation, where the brain is “reset” by delivering controlled bursts of sound at certain frequencies.

Does It Actually Work?

For some people, yes. But the effectiveness depends on why the tinnitus exists in the first place. If tinnitus is due to hearing loss, these therapies may help the brain adjust, but they won’t restore lost hearing. If it’s caused by neuroinflammation, other approaches (reducing inflammation, improving circulation, addressing gut health, etc.) might be more relevant.

If the brain is compensating for lost input at a certain frequency, the theory is that giving the brain controlled exposure to that frequency (or altering its perception of it) could encourage it to stop generating the tinnitus signal. Some people report improvements with tailored sound therapy, but it’s not a guaranteed fix.”

suboptimal

I have mild tinnitus. I think my years walking around with in-ear monitors as headphones for my iPod broke me a little. Now and then I get a sharp "ping" that's much more distracting than my normal ambient squeee.

I wince when I read about folks using hammer drills and angle grinders without ear protection. I just got through removing tile and grinding down my house's slab for a fresh tile lay. The rest of the family had to evacuate while I was working due to the noise. I was content wearing my $10 construction ear protectors. Not looking forward to having a tile floor in my home studio space, btw.