Apps for tinnitus management

Tinnitus, or hearing sounds that aren't from an external source, affects nearly 1 in 10 New Zealanders. Sound therapy can be an effective way to manage tinnitus, and there are many apps available to help.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is often described as ringing, buzzing, or other sounds in the ears that aren’t caused by external noise. It can range from mildly annoying to severely disruptive, impacting daily life and mental well-being. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, there are ways to manage it and improve your quality of life.

Sound therapy

Sound therapy works by masking the sound of your tinnitus and can also help to calm anxiety and clear your mind. Over time, your brain may learn to focus less on the tinnitus itself. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and any underlying issues, personalised sound devices may be the right option for you. Your audiologist can help you explore these highly tailored solutions. 

Habituation

Rather than completely masking tinnitus, the goal is often to help you habituate to it. This means your brain learns to blend the tinnitus sounds into the background, reducing how much you notice or focus on them. You may still hear the tinnitus if you actively listen for it, but it becomes far less bothersome in your daily life.

Our favourite apps

Tinnitus apps make sound therapy and management techniques, such as habituation, easily accessible. Many include features like sound masking, relaxation exercises, guided meditations, and progress tracking. Manufacturer-specific apps, designed to pair with your hearing aids, are particularly useful as they’re often ad-free and seamlessly integrated with your devices. Here are a few we recommend:

	Widex Zen, Tinnitus Management Widex Zen features random, chime-like fractal tones inspired by certain types of music. These tones are based on fractal technology, which creates soothing sounds that are unpredictable, helping to make tinnitus less noticeable and promote relaxation. The tones are designed to be calming without becoming repetitive, so they continue to be effective over time in reducing the perception and bothersome nature of tinnitus.
	ReSound tinnitus Relief The ReSound Tinnitus Relief app combines sound therapy, relaxation exercises, and meditation to help manage tinnitus. You can customise your experience by layering up to five different sounds, adjusting the balance between your ears, and setting a timer for a personalised experience. The app also provides tips and activities to help you better understand and manage your tinnitus, with a tracking feature to monitor progress and support discussions with your hearing care professional.
	Beltone Tinnitus Calmer The Beltone Tinnitus Calmer app offers the same sound therapy and relaxation exercises as the ReSound Tinnitus Relief app, but is designed for Beltone hearing aid users. It allows you to personalise soundscapes, track usage, and share progress with your hearing care professional.
	MindEar Developed by a research team led by the University of Auckland, this innovative app combines advanced sound therapy with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) via an AI-powered chatbot. The app helps users reduce the emotional reaction to tinnitus and better cope with its effects, offering an accessible solution to managing symptoms.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are many other options available. Managing tinnitus often requires a personalised approach, and your audiologist can guide you through tailored solutions to ease your symptoms and improve your well-being.

Learn more about tinnitus here.