Good day everyone
Welcome to Marpac DOHM-DS Natural Noise Sound Machine Product Preview. 
I chose to do a write-up of this product because I think it is a good option for some of you fellow tinnitus sufferers out there.
As I have mentioned in numerous articles and my main tagline for this website, it’s about “Aiming to Live With Comfort.”
This includes as far as possible, as many areas as we can cover, from our work environment, to relaxing at home, to sleeping, all whilst having the constant tinnitus going on in our heads.
What is great about this product is that almost anyone can use it to mask external annoying noises and not just for tinnitus sufferers.
Before I dive into the review of this product, I would like to briefly recap on what tinnitus is for some of our new readers and how masking devices can play an important role.
What is this Tinnitus all about ?
Basically tinnitus is the brain’s perception of noises. A person that is suffering from tinnitus like myself will hear various noises such as ringing, whistling, roaring, howling or chirping noises. There are so many other types of noises that one may hear which differs from one person to the next.
Furthermore these noises are not heard by anyone else. So, it “appears,” therefore that the person is okay but this is far from the truth.
In fact in a new poll that took place this week to mark Tinnitus Awareness Week, in the UK, showed that over a third of the people across the East of England have reported to experiencing tinnitus. Charity organization Action on Hearing Loss, published figures that half of the sufferers ranges from the ages 18-24 years old.
So tinnitus is very “real” indeed and can impact a persons life, relationships and ability to sleep and concentrate.
Unfortunately at this point in time there is no cure for tinnitus.
What causes one to have Tinnitus?
There are various causes for one to get tinnitus. It may come about suddenly or it can gradually exacerbate over time.
Here are just some of the causes that can bring about your tinnitus
- Exposure to loud noise
- Ear Wax Build-up
- Trauma to head area
- Viral Infections
- Sinus Infections
- Meniere’s Disease
- TMJ(Temporamandibular Joint)
- Thyroid Disease
What can I do to treat my Tinnitus?
I personally find that this part is the ultimate challenge for every tinnitus sufferer out there. There is no clear cut solution for every one.
The treatment option will differ from me to you. The market is flooded with products to help with tinnitus. To pinpoint which one will definitely help you will be hard, unless you give it a try yourself.
Products to buy
Certain products worth the mention, that may offer relief from tinnitus, include, vitamins, minerals or homeopathic remedies. I have reviewed Ginkgo Biloba as a product that can assist with tinnitus, which is as a result of circulation. You are more than welcome to check that out.
Things to do
I personally find escaping out into nature and hiking extremely beneficial for my tinnitus. It just grounds me and de-stresses. Other things that work for me include regular exercise and meditation.
Dietary Modification
A lot of tinnitus sufferers find that caffeine intake aggravates the hissing noises in their ears. I personally tried it out for a month and experienced absolutely no effect on my ringing in the ears.
On the other hand, having a box of popcorn fully loaded with spices and flavourings, spiked my Tinnitus through the roof. If you interested in learning about the salty foods that can aggravate tinnitus then read this article.
What are Tinnitus Maskers and how do they work?
Basically a tinnitus masker is used to mask out the ringing noise that a person suffers with, allowing him or her to focus on the conversation at hand, with minimal interference from the ringing or buzzing noises.
Since I am completely deaf in the right ear, and the tinnitus is really bothersome in my only “partially hearing” left ear, I went ahead and invested in a hearing aid.
The theory behind a masking device like a hearing aid is to play a masking noise. This noise in turn distracts the brain away from the tinnitus. My hearing aid is pretty powerful and it took me a long time to get used to it. I would say around 2 years now, and though it does not play any noise, it does a great job of picking up audio sounds whilst masking my tinnitus. More about hearing aids later on.
Lets talk about our feature product, the masking device.
Marpac DOHM-DS Natural White Noise Sound Machine Product Preview
Name of Company : Marpac
Where to buy : Amazon.com or ebay.com
Price of Product : $49.97
Overall Rating : 4.5 out of 5 Stars
About this Product
- #1 Rated White Noise Machine
- Creates a rushing noise of air, which is known as White Noise
- Provides for excellent noise masking capabilities
- Great for home, office or travel
- Suitable for day care centres, nurseries or colleges and apartments.
My take on this product
One of the things about having tinnitus as I am sure most of you will agree, is that it is most pronounced when you are in a quiet environment. Therefore using a noise masker especially at night during sleep time really helps. It helps to get rid of the unwanted noise and creates a calm sounding environment.
Two settings. It has a tone and pitch setting which you can choose by opening or closing the vents. The sound is like that of a small fan without the actual flowing air!
No Pre-recorded white noise loaded. I usually listen to white noise that comes from a digital recording such as an app or Cd. This machine is more “natural,” in terms of white noise compared to a pattern or loop recordings.
Lightweighted and durable and has a base diameter of 5-3/4inches giving it a small footprint on your desk or nightstand.
PROS
- Helps for people who are light sleepers
- No need for ear plugs or listening to iPad applications or Cds
- Great for everyone including children, babies, restless sleepers and students
- Blocks distracting noises across a range of frequencies for deeper relaxation, concentration and sleep.
- Perfect for spas, massage centres and places where confidentiality is needed
- Masks out neighbourhood noises, dogs barking and snoring noises
- Simple and Easy to use.
CONS
- Not LOUD enough – Some people have reported that the sound generated from here is not loud enough.
- People have reported Rattling Noise from this device after using them.
Conclusion
Overall, I can tell you that using a masker really helps. I personally, find it useful when I am busy with my coloring books as it distracts me from the tinnitus.
At the end of the day, its about having peace of mind and trying to go ahead with your activities with the minimal distractions from tinnitus. Its not about giving the power to the tinnitus.
The more the focus or concentration on the tinnitus, the more it will persist. It is also not a good idea to fight it and resist it completely. What you resist will persist.
So acknowledge that the noises are there, and do your level best to get your mind to focus on something else. Will you give this product a go?
Have any of you tried this product before? How did it go? We would love to hear your experience.
You are welcome to share, or comment below. Its always great to hear from you.
Thanks for reading my review on Marpac DOHM-DS Natural White Noise Sound Machine. Hope you enjoyed it.
Till next time, see you around.
Regards
Roopesh