One year ago to the day, News OnTheWight shared a feature about Islander Rupert Brown’s T-Minus App for tinnitus sufferers.
Twelve months on and as well as evolving to offer lots of new developments, the App has helped thousands of people suffering from tinnitus, and even won press acclaim from the likes of BBC, Daily Telegraph, Metro, DJ Magazine, Electronic Sound, Music Tech, Music Radar, Computer Music, Guitarist, Saga Magazine and many more.
Tinnitus Awareness Week
This week is Tinnitus Awareness Week (1st-7th February) and the creators of the T-Minus App will be doing a whole bunch of stuff to raise awareness and support for those suffering with the condition.
They’ll be providing tools to make it easy for you to get involved on your own social channels too, such as Facebook frames and Instagram filters.
There are also loads of informative videos over on their YouTube channel, such as how to deal with excessive ear wax, or why you shouldn’t use ear buds to clear wax from yours ears.
Coronavirus triggering tinnitus
We were fascinated to read that research carried out over the last year (jump to ref) reveals that Coronavirus has been creating a surge in tinnitus patients and symptoms.
According to the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), 1 in 8 adults* in the UK suffer from tinnitus – a condition that causes a persistent internal noise that some describe as a ringing, humming or whooshing.
“40% of those displaying symptoms of Covid-19 simultaneously experience a worsening of their tinnitus with some reporting that their tinnitus was initially triggered by developing coronavirus symptoms.”*
Those with the condition are needing help now more than ever, so T-Minus – Tinnitus Wellness are actively taking on the challenge of supporting those with the condition and have announced a number of new developments to the service (jump to).
The T-Minus App
T-Minus composer and co-founder, Rupert Brown,
“I have suffered with tinnitus for over 30 years. What started out as a DIY approach to my own tinnitus has led me to create this sound therapy library, I had to move tinnitus sound therapy into a professional world and give it the heart, passion and understanding that the condition deserves.”
Alongside Rupert, T-Minus has been developed by a team of hearing therapists, audiologists and ENT consultants.
Poole: T-Minus app is the best I have seen
Susan Poole, Senior Audiologist and Hearing Therapist, says,
“There are very few good quality products on the market for this type of ongoing management and the T-Minus app is the best I have seen. I recommend the app to all of my suitable patients because the quality of sound therapy delivered through the app surpasses any of the tools I have used before.
“Rupert Brown has utilised his expertise in sounds, the psychology of those sounds and his own experiences with tinnitus to create a library for all sorts of tinnitus types. Other aspects such as the journal really help users to understand their own interactions with the condition better and I have discussed making this a more interactive section of the app, where users and their clinicians can review patterns in their tinnitus spikes.”
New developments
One year on from the launch, and T-Minus is now able to offer a bunch of new developments. These include:
Guided Meditations
Nine months in the making, these meditations have been painstakingly recorded, and adjusted with the feedback of the tinnitus community.With a variety of soothing soundscapes and original scripts, designed specifically for the tinnitus community. Subjects refer to areas of the body such as mouth, nose, sinuses and ears and particularly the breath.
T-Talks
These are free monthly webinars where tinnitus specialists discuss topics relevant to the tinnitus community.Examples include safe earwax removal, oversensitivity to sound (Hyperacusis), research round ups and what the medical world are doing to help, plus many more.
Tea with T-Minus
Monthly, free online peer support groups, which allow frank honest conversations with others going through the same experiences.
T-Minus Subscription Tier
A much-requested update from users: They can now subscribe directly with T-Minus if they do not want to use a streaming account. Subscriptions offer priority access to all content, offline listening.
Board of Patrons
T-Minus have invited some eminent members of the tinnitus community to form part of their Board of Patrons. These specialists are here to hold them to the highest standards as they continue to develop their tool kit for tinnitus wellness.
Along with the feedback from the community and users, the board help guide the shape of the app and developments to come.
Patrons Include:
- Victoria Didenko – Founder of Tinnitus Australia
- Susan Poole – Senior Audiologist and Hearing Therapist
- Mr Sreeshyla Basavaraj MBBS, DLO, FRCS (ORL)
Find out more about the T-Minus app by visiting the Website. The App is available on Apple.
References * Genitsaridi E, Burns-O’Connell G, Hall D and Stockdale D. Tinnitus prevalence in the UK, British Tinnitus Association 2019
* Beukes EW, Baguley DM, Jacquemin L, Lourenco MPCG, Allen PM, Onozuka J, Stockdale D, Kaldo V, Andersson G and Manchaiah V (2020). Changes in tinnitus experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health 8:592878.
