turn it off, but there are ways to turn it down. Certain drugs and herbal treatments have helped some patients. There are in ear sound generators and hearing aids that reduce tinnitus to a nearly imperceptible buzz.

A “tinnitus masker,” or sound generator, is a tiny electronic device akin to a hearing aid. It’s worn in the ear, and puts sound into the ear to “turn off” the tinnitus noise. How can it do this? These devices produce narrow frequency sound that masks the tinnitus without disturbing normal hearing. The patient adjusts the tone until the tinnitus is gone and only the masking sound is heard. That tone is then reduced to the lowest level at which the tinnitus sound remains absent.

It works, some scientists believe, because it keeps the hearing nerves busy so they no longer can create the tinnitus noise.

Others who have hearing loss and tinnitus find hearing aids not only improve their hearing, but also are more effective than sound generators for quieting tinnitus. For some, using a masker and hearing aid simultaneously has made a positive difference.

Acoustic therapy isn’t limited to hearing aids or in ear sound generators. There are tapes, CDs and tabletop units that can minimize tinnitus, and help patients’ concentrate or go to sleep. There are even pillows with small speakers in them that can plug into tape and CD players for the same purpose.

Reducing sodium and/or caffeine intake sometimes helps. Eliminating aspirin or reducing dosage has also been beneficial for some patients.

The anesthetic Lidocaine has been used to help silence tinnitus. It’s usually given intravenously, but doctors at the Shea Ear Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee have found that direct injection of Lidocaine into the ear, along with intravenous administration of the drug is “much more effective, with less side effects,” says Dr. Xianxi Ge a practitioner at the clinic.

An herbal treatment that some claim reduced their tinnitus is Lipoflavonoid. It’s a combination of vitamins and herbs, which its proponents say promote