I'm not doctor or scientist, but I think of it like the nerves in the ear are signaling off constantly. The brain is operating normally by listening to them, but what you really want is for it to adapt and start to ignore the bad signals. The brain can phase them out, but it can never stop receiving the signal, so you still hear it if you consciously focus on it. It sounds like this person is already there but still looking for a real cure, something to stop the signals.