Normally the brain filters unnecessary or unwanted sound out and we don’t even notice it.

In other words the brain checks sounds against its filing cabinet of recognised sounds and then, having identified it, it files it away.

You will notice this with some every day sounds, such as a ticking clock or becoming used to traffic noise near to home. You are only aware of it when you consciously think about it, or it changes.

This is known as habituation.

Habituation is The process of “ignoring” (or becoming accustomed to) a stimulus without exerting any conscious effort. From a psychological perspective, it is defined as the adaptation, or decline of a conditioned response, to a stimulus following repeated exposure to that stimulus.

The Limbic system helps the brain attach meaning to things.

For example, when you are a baby, if someone says your name and you turn around, people smile and make a fuss of you. From then on that sound gets a positive reaction

On the other hand, if you hear a car rev up while you are crossing the road, you don’t even need to think about it- you will speed up to get to the pavement! You know that sound is a potential threat.

The limbic system is linked to all of our senses and controls our long and short term memory, our spatial memory and emotional responses including fear and anxiety. If a negative response is apportioned to a sound it can create a response from what is known as the reptilian area of our brain, this is more likely to create a defensive response such as anxiety and fear, blocking our ability to process rationally.

Sometimes, a sound isn’t recognised and filtered out so we begin to hear it. Since we cannot identify it, it gets our attention and if it sets up a negative emotional response, we continue to hear it until that response changes. This is especially relevant to tinnitus noises which do not have a source external to ourselves.

Tinnitus management can take different forms. When tinnitus is linked to a hearing loss, simply bringing back normal sounds to their normal level can be enough. We can also help with the psychology behind the negative response and we also have access to tone generators and maskers that help the brain ignore the tinnitus sound.