Tinnitus however, tolerate it well, and it is a significant problem in only 1–2% of people. The word tinnitus is from the Latin "tinnīre" which means "to ring". Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is the description of a noise inside a person’s head in the absence of auditory stimulation. The noise can be described in many different ways. It is usually described as a ringing noise but, in some patients, it takes the form of a high-pitched whining, electric buzzing, hissing, humming, tinging or whistling sound or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets"
Tinnitus masker efficacy of a tinnitus masker may depend on the wearer's capacity to experience "residual inhibition," the temporary suppression of tinnitus in response to particular sound patterns. The mechanism of sound masking can be explained by analogy with light. In a dark room where someone is turning a lamp on and off, the light will be obviously noticeable. However if the overhead lights are turned on, turning on the lamp will no longer be as distracting because it has been "masked". The concept that an external sound could suppress perception of an internal one was first realised clinically in the mid