Ambient Sound and Tinnitus: What the Evidence Says
I'm not a doctor. This is a summary of what I read, with no recommendations. My app is not a tinnitus treatment. It was not built for tinnitus and has never been tested with it.
Short answer: Sound is widely used alongside tinnitus, and health bodies describe it as one of the ways people try to reduce symptoms. But the two Cochrane reviews I read found no strong evidence that it works better than other approaches. They also say the studies were few and of low quality, so the question is still open.
What tinnitus is
The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) defines it this way: "Tinnitus is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, so other people cannot hear it."
It is common. NIDCD says surveys put it at 10 to 25 percent of adults. It also says: "Currently, there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways to reduce symptoms."
How sound is used
NIDCD lists several sound-based approaches: tabletop or smartphone sound generators, hearing aids, wearable sound generators, and devices that combine the two. As the page explains it, the ideas behind them include covering the tinnitus with another sound and helping a person get used to it.
What the reviews found
Cochrane reviews pool the results of controlled trials. I read the summaries of two.
The 2018 review looked at hearing aids and sound generators. It covered eight trials with 590 people. Its conclusion: "There is no evidence to support the superiority of sound therapy for tinnitus over waiting list control, placebo or education/information with no device." It rated the quality of the evidence as low.
A review of sound masking covered six trials with 553 people. It says the data "failed to show strong evidence of the efficacy of sound therapy in tinnitus management". It reports that no side effects were found. And it adds a caution: "The absence of conclusive evidence should not be interpreted as evidence of lack of effectiveness."
How I read that
Two things are true together. Sound is widely used. And the trials so far haven't shown that it beats the alternatives.
That is different from showing that it does nothing. The reviews say the studies were few and their quality was low. With evidence like that, nobody can honestly be confident in either direction.
Where a sound app fits
Medically, it doesn't. My app makes background sound for working and resting. Nobody has studied it with tinnitus, and I make no claim about it.
On where to go with questions, NIDCD says to start with a primary care doctor, who may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist or an audiologist.
Sources
- What Is Tinnitus? Causes and Treatment, NIDCD
- Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus, Cochrane
- Sound therapy (masking) in the management of tinnitus in adults, Cochrane
Try it: This page has nothing to recommend. If you simply want background sound to work to, Ambient Sound Online is free to start. It is not a tinnitus treatment.
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