Tinnitus pocket guide is intended for people who suffer from tinnitus and find a way to charge it to handle. This pocket guide offers a thorough look at what tinnitus is precisely and can be as a support in learning to get used to tinnitus. The advantage of the digital format of this guide is that you can have it in your pocket (on eg. Your smartphone, tablet ...). The app also has a panel on board sound with sounds which are suitable for use as a sound enrichment.
The information and methods that are used in this application are based on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), a habituation therapy which was developed by Dr. Pawel Jastreboff and Dr. Jonathan Hazell. Understanding and repeating the mechanisms behind tinnitus are an important part of this approach. This guide is designed to be a support herein.
For whom?
The app is designed for people who suffer from tinnitus and find a way to bother with it to go.
The app can be an additional tool for people who have already followed Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). This guide can serve as a stepping stone to repeat the most important information that was added during the sessions regularly.
The app can be a good starting point for people who are looking for a way to cope with tinnitus. For this group can serve as a guide the first base of information.
Note that this guide is not a substitute for therapy. If counseling is appropriate, find best care at a specialized Tinnitus Centre.
How to use?
This pocket guide is intended to "forking" regularly once. And that's the big advantage of the digital format, if you have the app guide with everything. Repeat regularly small pieces when you have some time. Many little bit helps!
Realize that requires getting used to tinnitus time: responding to tinnitus is a conditioned reflex. Fortunately, we are able to bend this reflex, but it is a process of trial and error. Give yourself the time and use this pocket guide to support the process of habituation.
What is tinnitus?
Ringing in the ears or tinnitus means that you will hear a sound without a sound source is present in the area. Examples of these sounds are: whistling, squeaking, institutes, hiss, roar, growl, ... A lot of people experience tinnitus and for some this has a big impact on daily life.
How can we learn to deal with it?
It is important to realize that tinnitus is not a disease. Yet, tinnitus can be very tricky when our brains to think of it sound like something "threatening". As long as that's the case, our brains go there just to focus instead of ignoring it. That is quite normal: something we regard as a "threat" we will give more attention.
When tinnitus is, however, the reaction is not in proportion to the stimulus. So we are far too strong to respond to a signal that is actually quite innocent. Fortunately, we can influence this reaction and even do extinguished. A first step is always to understand how tinnitus properly and why we hear it. And that is the main purpose of this pocket guide.
Sound Enrichment
Besides understanding the mechanisms behind tinnitus may sound enrichment help us in the process of habituation. Sound Enrichment means that we will use an additional sound in our environment to reduce the contrast of the tinnitus signal with the background. This app also has a sound panel with nature sounds on board, where the most common sounds for sound enrichment are present.
Available nature sounds: waterfall, river, rain, sea, birds, crickets, pink noise, brown noise, fire, rain, storm.