Many patients use tinnitus help before going to sleep. The brightness of the screen my be unfavorable in a dark environment. The Dimmer-button reduces the emitted light. Note: The Dimmer is only available if tinnitus help is running in a timed mode (15 min./30 min./60 min./endless).

This setting is stored automatically. You only have to do this once.

The default language is English.

If you wish to change the language any time later, please close tinnitus help and start it again to pass the start view above. There you may change the language as descibed above.

.... if I set a tinnitus-frequency to 10.998 Hz and push the "double frecuency"-button?

If you double a frequency that is about 11 kHz, the result will be a frequency that is about 22 kHz. Most people do not hear such high frequencies. But the iPhone will generate it anyway and if you do increase the volume the iPhone will overdrive and this results in a hearable sound. So please:
- reduce the volume and
- reduce the frequency to match your range of audibility

Yes, of course!

... sleep mode?

Yes, tinnitus help features full multitasking and the sleep mode. But this depends on the operating system (iOS) you are running on your iPhone, iPod or iPad. Only devices with iOS 4 and higher do know multitasking.

But remember: Tinnitus is a distress that often has to do with stress when many tasks have to be performed the same time - that's sometimes life. A multitasking OS like the new iOS 4 may be very useful but it does not charge a tinnitus treatment if all other things are going on. So find a calm moment to come in tinnitus help.

... frequency that I currently hear or another frequency that masks the tinnitus?

Setting up tinnitus help is done in 3 steps.

In the first step please try to set the frequency to the same
pitch that you currently hear. Do so with other characteristics
like vibrato, tremolo or additional noises that you perceive.

After this please go on with the second and the third step
described in the manual.

... how often should I practice?

The minimum is 1 x 15 min. daily.
Already with 15 minutes you should get a rapid success.
Improved: 2-3 x daily 15 min., if you get some peace and quiet.
To the best advantage is the time in the evening before going to bed. If one performs a treatment unit once daily it should happen to the same time of day if possible.

Tinnitus help can be adjusted for left and right ear independently. But if tinnitus patients perceive the same noises on both sides, the setting of tinnitus help is more easy if the sliders for left and right are linked together. The linking is switched on by pressing the "L+R"-button that turns from grey to blue then and vice versa.

If you need to control the master volume (the sum of all mixed sounds) more precisely as it can be done with the iPhone's/iPod's/iPad's hardware switch this 6-dB-slider can be used. So there is no need to de- or increase the volume of all mixed sounds to get the optimum master volume of the mix. (+ 6 dB means a multiple of 2.)

... benefits, or just the sounds of nature?

The principle of the reprogramming is that you find out your tinnitus profile (e.g. a tone and/or noise) and mix it with a convenient sound of nature and/or a music. It is not necessary that a music is in this mix but the built in music files have been approved. In case you do not like the music very much it is better not to have them in your mix. The main thing for habituation is that your individually setting includes your tinnitus sound and something convenient for example the "small waterfall". If this mix sounds well for you the effect is that your brain will no longer point out the tinnitus.

... habituation?
By the way, this is a very nice product and my experience has been great so far. How long does it take to get to the point of habituation?

The duration to exceed the point of habituation is very difficult to say. This depends on many things like also the grade of your tinnitus. But please
- use the app at least once a day (minimum is a quater of an hour each day, the more the better)
- concentrate yourself unconstrained listening to the app (some people may want to check emails etc. while listening to tinnitus help. That is definitely not favourable!)

The method of tinniuts help is approved in practice for many years. Many patients need only a few days or weeks, but there are cases of months and for example due to certain medical reasons others do not get rid of their tinnitus .

... background music.

Is it possible to mix relaxation music that comes from my own archive and use it as background music?

Yes, this is possible since version 1.21 published in August 11. But try the built in music files. They are composed and produced especially for tinnitus help and successfully approved for many years.

Yes, of course! Doing an update is simple: Visit the app shop, log in, download the new version and synchronize your device. That's all.

In general the tinnitus has the same frequency as the peak in your hearing loss (mostly a hearing loss in high frequencies). Therefore it is normal, that you can hardly hear your own tinnitus frequency, especially if your hearing loss is profoundly. Don’t be irritated, use a frequency, which marks the peak of your hearing loss (you can see it at your audiogram). Be careful with the loudness. Ask a person with normal hearing to check the volume of this frequency. It is extremely important, that it is not too loud; otherwise you could damage your hearing – even if you don’t hear this frequency! Your brain and your auditory cortex still work and process the sound! Even with a quiet frequency you will definitely notice that there are changes in tinnitus perception and hearing!

... more precisely than with the sliders?

Yes you can:

To increase or decrease the tinnitusfrequency just press on the plus- or minus symbol left to the frequency slider.

Pushing the speaker-plus or speaker-minus symbol will increase respectively decrease the volume.

Hello, Any plans to make "Tinnitus Help" an Android app? If not, please consider doing so. I would buy it! Thanks.

Answer:

Yes, there are plans for an Android app. But in August 2011 we got ready a PC-version first. This allows you to produce quite the same individual sound mixes that then can be played on other mobiles like Android and mp3-players. Languages are English and German again.
You can get it
* at the german IND-shop (see http://www.ind-technik.de/shop/tinnitushelpfuerpc/index.php ) or
* via email. We will inform you how to purchase a licence.

... When playing the sounds am i supposed to hear the tinnitus tone in the background or not, or should it be completely masked ? Thanks and well done for this product. ...

Answer:

Yes, you should hear your individual tinnitus profile (that is your tinnitus setting of tinnitus help) in the background. BUT: Please note that the tinnitus always reflects your hearing loss - regardless of wether your hearing loss is light or severe. That means: if you do have a severe hearing loss, you cannot hear your tinnitus frequency properly. In this case do not amplify your individual tinnitus frequency. Ask a normal-hearing person to listen to your tinnitus-frequency and let her set a "normal" - not too loud volume. Even if you don't hear your tinnitus frequency your brain will catch it, via bottom up- processes your tinnitus will gradually fade into the background and besides your central hearing will be stimulated. Many studies in the filed of tinnitus-auditory trainings have prooved these effects.

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