{"id":734,"date":"2022-01-14T12:51:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T12:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/14\/amazons-echo-frames-helped-me-deal-with-tinnitus\/"},"modified":"2022-01-14T12:51:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T12:51:38","slug":"amazons-echo-frames-helped-me-deal-with-tinnitus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/14\/amazons-echo-frames-helped-me-deal-with-tinnitus\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon\u2019s Echo Frames helped me deal with tinnitus"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I had little interest in the Alexa-enabled Echo Frames<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a> until Amazon loaned me a pair for review. After all, does anyone really need Alexa in their glasses? But while I\u2019m still mulling the merits of all-day Alexa, I\u2019ve found at least one compelling use for Amazon\u2019s smart glasses: as a surprisingly effective tinnitus aid.<\/p>\n

First, a little background: I\u2019ve been dealing with mild-to-moderate tinnitus\u2014or ringing in the ears, for those fortunate enough not to know\u2014for about six months now. Basically, it\u2019s a high-pitched \u201ceeeeee<\/em>\u201d with varying degrees of pitch and loudness. On good days, I barely notice the sound; on bad days, it\u2019s pretty much in my face.<\/p>\n

Tinnitus is a distressingly common ailment, and it\u2019s typically a symptom of hearing loss, either natural (due to advancing age\u2014I\u2019m 52) or otherwise (such as long exposure cranked-up headphones). Other causes run the gamut from ear infections and certain medications (including NSAIDs, like aspirin) to high blood pressure and even (eek!) brain tumors. While some bouts of tinnitus are temporary, others are permanent.<\/p>\n

There is no cure for tinnitus (at least, not yet), but there are treatments, and among the most common are in-ear devices, akin to hearing aids, that emit specially tuned sounds that mask the ringing in your ears.<\/p>\n

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Amazon\u2019s Echo Frames have, in addition to Alexa onboard, have tiny speakers built into their arms.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Besides an in-ear device (which is generally prescribed by an audiologist), you could also just use a headset or even a speaker to produce the soothing sounds. But walking around day with a chirping Bluetooth speaker (cricket sounds work best for me) or AirPods stuck in your ears can be tricky to manage, not to mention distracting to others.<\/p>\n

Enter Amazon\u2019s Echo Frames<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a>, which\u2014besides coming with onboard Alexa\u2014also boast four \u201cmicrospeakers\u201d built into the arms (a.k.a. \u201ctemples\u201d) of the glasses, two for each ear. These open-air speakers are designed to direct sound into your ears (using a technology called \u201cbeamforming\u201d), and if you set the volume properly, you\u2019ll be the only one who hears the sound.<\/p>\n

When connected to your phone via Bluetooth, the Echo Frames ($250) act very much like a pair of Bluetooth headphones, and it\u2019s easy enough to dial up your favorite tinnitus-masking sound and stream them through the Frame\u2019s microspeakers.<\/p>\n

Even better, the Frames are unobtrusive; I don\u2019t feel self-conscious when I\u2019m wearing them in front of my family or out on the street. To the outside world, I\u2019m simply wearing glasses (and you can order prescription lenses<\/a> for them, too).<\/p>\n