Tinnitus or "vibratory" tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus is the most frequent type of tinnitus. It can have many possible causes, but most commonly it results from hearing loss. When the tinnitus is caused by disorders of the inner ear or auditory nerve it is called otic (from the Greek word for ear). These otological or neurological conditions include those triggered by infections or drugs. A frequent cause is noise exposure that damages hair cells in the inner ear. When there does not seem to be a connection with a disorder of the inner ear or auditory nerve, the tinnitus is called nonotic
Tinnitus masker 1970s by Dr. Jack Vernon, when he reported that white noise was effective in alleviating tinnitus. Tinnitus suppression is different than but related to tinnitus masking. It is an acoustic or neurological effect that results in temporary suppression of tinnitus by listening to an appropriately tailored sound for a short period. After the sound is withdrawn, tinnitus may be fully (complete silence) or partially suppressed. Most (70–90%) of persons can experience the effect. There is usually a period of complete silence followed by a gradual return of tinnitus to its original level. The effect lasts for 5 minutes or less