Over 200,000 New Zealanders are affected by tinnitus, a condition experienced as ringing in the ears. The effects can range from annoying to disabling.
It has long been thought that there's nothing you can do about tinnitus, but live with it.
However, a new app MindEar, developed by an Auckland University led research team has been shown to reduce the impact of tinnitus in two thirds of users in a matter of weeks. The team believe the brain can be trained to ignore the ringing in your ears.
One of the app's developers is Dr Fabrice Bardy, an audiologist and neuroscientist based at the University of Auckland.