The most effective treatment for tinnitus is to eliminate the underlying cause. Unfortunately, the cause often cannot be identified so, in some cases, the tinnitus itself may need to be treated. Drug therapy, vitamin therapy, biofeedback, hypnosis and tinnitus maskers are types of treatments that have been helpful for some people. People with mild tinnitus generally do not require treatment. If they can be assured that they do not have a rare disease or a serious brain disorder or are not going deaf, they usually find they can cope with or ignore their tinnitus.
Some people find such external sounds preferable to the sound in their heads.
The characteristics of the tinnitus, such as pitch and loudness, determine what kind of noise brings relief. When a person has a hearing loss as well as tinnitus, the masker and the hearing aid may operate together as one instrument. Like other treatments for tinnitus, maskers are useful for some, but not all people. As with a hearing aid, a careful evaluation by an audiologist will help decide if a tinnitus masker will help you. If you have a hearing loss, there is a good chance that a hearing aid will both relieve your tinnitus and help you hear better.