Tinnitus masker Tinnitus masker Tinnitus maskers are a range of devices based on simple white noise machines which are used to add natural or artificial sound into a tinnitus sufferer's environment in order to mask or cover up the ringing. The noise is supplied by a sound generator which may reside in or above the ear or be placed on a table or elsewhere in the environment. The noise is usually white noise or music, but in some cases it may be patterned sound or specially tailored sound based on the characteristics of the person's tinnitus. The perceived loudness of tinnitus, called
Tinnitus from "slight" to "catastrophic" according to the effects it has, such as interference with sleep, quiet activities and normal daily activities. In an extreme case, a man committed suicide after being told there was no cure. Assessment of psychological processes related to tinnitus involves measurement of tinnitus severity and distress (i.e., nature and extent of tinnitus-related problems), measured subjectively by validated self-report tinnitus questionnaires. These questionnaires measure the degree of psychological distress and handicap associated with tinnitus, including effects on hearing, lifestyle, health and emotional functioning. A broader assessment of general functioning, such as levels of anxiety, depression, stress, life