Now hear this: A portable device is showing some promise in silencing tinnitus [tih-nuh-tuhs], a ringing or buzzing in the ears that can range from annoying to maddening.

In a randomized clinical trial conducted at the University of Michigan, 60% of people who used the device reported significantly reduced tinnitus symptoms after six weeks.

The researchers recruited about 100 people with somatic tinnitus, the most common form of the disorder. It causes a noticeable change in the pitch or volume of sounds when the jaw is clenched or pressure is applied to the forehead.

The participants were separated into two groups, with one group receiving the new, bi-sensory treatment that combines sound and a pressure stimulus. The second group received a standard, established treatment for tinnitus.

For six weeks, study participants used the new device for 30 minutes a day. That was followed by six weeks of abstaining from daily use. Then, the two groups “traded places,” spending six weeks using the other treatment.

Each week, the subjects completed two common questionnaires about the impact of tinnitus.

After receiving the sound-and-pressure treatment, participants reported significant reductions in the intensity of their tinnitus and a better quality of life. Those improvements were not reported when receiving traditional, sound-only treatment.

The findings help reinforce the scientists’ earlier findings, which showed that longer treatment times were associated with greater reductions in tinnitus symptoms.

For long-suffering tinnitus patients, the device offers the potential for nothing: no humming, no hissing and no phantom sounds.