Lenire® is the first FDA-approved, non-invasive tinnitus treatment that uses something called bimodal neuromodulation. That simply means it stimulates your nervous system in two ways at the same time to help your brain respond differently to tinnitus.
During Lenire treatment:
- Gentle sound plays through wireless headphones, customized to your hearing and tinnitus profile.
- A soft Tonguetip™ rests on your tongue and delivers mild, precise electrical pulses.
- A handheld controller keeps the sound and tongue stimulation perfectly in sync.
Those two inputs — sound plus tongue stimulation — work together to “retrain” how your brain processes tinnitus. Over time, the goal is for your brain to:
- Reduce the salience (how important tinnitus feels).
- Lower the emotional alarm response attached to the sound.
- Move tinnitus from “front and center” to the background, so you can think about your life again.
Lenire is not a mask or a distraction. It’s designed to take advantage of your brain’s neuroplasticity — its ability to change and form new patterns over time.
At California Hearing Center, our San Mateo Lenire clinics follow the same science-driven protocols used in major Lenire trials and in Dr. Emily McMahan’s real-world Lenire research at Alaska Hearing & Tinnitus Center.
Why Real-World Lenire Results Are Even Better Than the Clinical Trials
Lenire’s original clinical trials showed that a large majority of people who used the device as directed had meaningful improvement in their tinnitus after 12 weeks — with many maintaining benefit 12 months later.
More recently, Dr. Emily E. McMahan, AuD, led one of the first real-world analyses of U.S. Lenire patients. In that study:
- 220 patients from a tinnitus-focused clinic were analyzed.
- 91.5% of patients experienced a clinically meaningful reduction in tinnitus impact after 12 weeks of Lenire treatment.
- Results were at least as strong — and in some ways better — than earlier clinical trials.
In other words, when Lenire is used in a structured clinic environment with a specialist like Dr. McMahan guiding the process, real people in real life can do as well or better than carefully controlled research participants.
When you see Lenire offered in San Mateo at California Hearing Center, you’re accessing protocols shaped by those same studies — and by a clinician who helped generate the data.
To learn more about Dr. McMahan’s background and role in Lenire research, you can visit her bio at All Ears Alaska or explore Lenire’s official research summaries on the Lenire website.
Lenire Progress Timeline: What to Expect in 12 Weeks and After 12 Months
Lenire is not a one-time procedure. It’s a structured program that you use at home every day while checking in with your audiologist.
The active treatment phase (first ~12 weeks)
Most Lenire programs start with an “active phase” of about 12 weeks. A typical plan looks like:
- Two 30-minute sessions per day (morning and evening are common).
- Relaxed environment: sitting comfortably, no meetings or multitasking.
- Follow-up visits around 6–12 weeks to review progress and fine-tune settings.
During this phase, many patients report:
- Less “panic” about tinnitus — the emotional intensity begins to drop.
- Improved sleep and a bit more mental “space” in their day.
- Quieter or less intrusive tinnitus on many days.
In both clinical trials and real-world data, the majority of patients who complete this phase as prescribed show clinically meaningful reductions in tinnitus impact at the 12-week mark.
After 12 weeks: maintenance and long-term follow-up
After the initial phase, Lenire isn’t something you usually stop and forget about forever. Instead, most patients move into a more flexible maintenance phase guided by their provider.
That might mean:
- Reducing sessions to a lighter weekly routine after you’ve achieved stable benefit.
- Using Lenire more during high-stress periods or tinnitus spikes.
- Checking in with your audiologist at longer intervals (for example at 6–12 months) to confirm that benefits are holding.
Long-term follow-up from Lenire studies shows that many patients continue to experience lasting benefit 12 months after treatment, especially when they complete the active phase and follow their provider’s guidance.
In Dr. McMahan’s own clinical experience — reflected in both research papers and case reports — some patients continue to see gradual improvement beyond the first 3 months, with Lenire becoming a tool they can return to when life stress spikes or tinnitus tries to creep back into the spotlight.
If you’d like to talk about what a 12-week and 12-month plan could look like for you, our team in San Mateo and San Carlos can walk you through the specifics during a tinnitus evaluation.
Who Is a Candidate for Lenire in California?
Lenire is not for everyone — but more people qualify than you might think. One of the most important messages Dr. McMahan shares is: “Don’t self-disqualify before you talk to a provider.”
In general, Lenire is designed for:
- Adults (18+) with chronic subjective tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, hissing, etc.) lasting at least a few months.
- People whose tinnitus is bothersome or impacting daily life (sleep, mood, focus, work).
- Patients who are willing to use the device consistently for 12 weeks and follow a structured plan.
Lenire can be considered whether you:
- Have tinnitus in one ear or both ears.
- Have hearing loss, normal hearing, or something in between.
- Have tried sound therapy or hearing aids and still feel stuck.
There are also important cases where Lenire may not be appropriate without medical clearance. These include people with certain implantable devices (like pacemakers), epilepsy or conditions that cause loss of consciousness, reduced tongue sensation, or other specific medical issues. Pregnancy and recent major dental or oral surgery may also require extra caution.
Because of this, Lenire is always prescribed and configured by a trained clinician after a full tinnitus evaluation. At California Hearing Center, that evaluation typically includes:
- Detailed tinnitus and medical history.
- Comprehensive hearing testing (including middle ear and inner ear function where appropriate).
- Discussion of your goals, lifestyle, and expectations.
If you’re in the Bay AreaLenire in San Mateo or Lenire in California might be right for you, the next step isn’t to guess based on what you read online — it’s to sit down with a tinnitus-focused audiologist and look at your whole picture together.
We’ll let you know honestly if Lenire is a good match or if another tinnitus path makes more sense.
Next Steps: Talk to a Lenire Provider in the Bay Area
California Hearing Center is proud to offer Lenire in San Mateo through special tinnitus clinics hosted with Dr. Emily McMahan, a nationally recognized tinnitus specialist and co-author of real-world Lenire research.
From our locations in San Mateo and San Carlos, we serve patients from:
- San Mateo County (San Mateo, Burlingame, Belmont, Redwood City, Foster City, etc.).
- The greater Bay Area, including San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Berkeley, and beyond.
Ready to see whether Lenire is a fit for you?
- Request a Tinnitus Therapy consultation and ask about Lenire clinics in San Mateo.
- Explore our Tinnitus Knowledge Hub for more education and support.