Tinnitus & Sound Sensitivity
Our Doctors of Audiology have more than 20 years of experience treating it, and several hold the Certificate Holder in Tinnitus Management credential recognised by the American Board of Audiology. There is no cure. There are treatments that work well enough that many of our patients stop tracking the sound day to day, and that is the outcome we aim for.
If you want the condition explained before you book anything, start with what tinnitus is. If you want to be seen, call 650-342-9449.
At a glance
- Our Doctors of Audiology have 20-plus years of tinnitus experience, and several hold the American Board of Audiology tinnitus-management certificate.
- There is no cure. Sound therapy, TRT, hearing aids and work on sleep and stress reduce the impact, and they work better in combination.
- The first appointment is a hearing evaluation plus a tinnitus assessment, including a check for the presentations that need a physician.
- Selected candidates can access Lenire, an FDA-cleared bimodal neuromodulation device, through a structured eligibility process.
- If tinnitus is central to your care, say so before choosing hearing aids. Tinnitus programs vary by manufacturer and one current flagship has none.
What the first appointment involves
A full hearing evaluation and a tinnitus assessment. We take a history, examine the ears, test hearing across pitches, and measure the tinnitus itself where we can: its pitch, its loudness relative to your hearing, and whether it can be masked. We also ask how much it is actually costing you, in sleep and in concentration, because that determines the plan more than the loudness does. Then we go through the findings with you on screen.
What causes it, and what we look for
Common contributors include noise exposure, age-related hearing change, circulatory and nervous-system conditions, jaw joint and cervical spine problems, and head injury. Part of the first appointment is checking for the presentations that need a physician rather than an audiologist: tinnitus in one ear only, pulsatile tinnitus that keeps time with your heartbeat, sudden onset, or tinnitus with dizziness or a sudden hearing drop. If we find one, we refer, and we say so on the day.
Whether it can be cured
No, and anyone selling you a cure is selling. What can be changed is how loud it seems, how often you notice it, and how much of your attention it takes. Sound therapy, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, hearing aids programmed with tinnitus in mind, and work on sleep and stress all have evidence behind them, and they work better combined than alone. Many patients reach habituation, where the brain stops flagging the sound as important and it drops out of awareness for long stretches.
Hearing aids and sound therapy
If you have hearing loss alongside tinnitus, hearing aids are usually the first thing we try, because restoring ambient sound often reduces the contrast that makes tinnitus stand out in a quiet room. Most current platforms also carry sound therapy signals your audiologist enables and you adjust in the app, though the range varies by manufacturer and at least one current flagship carries no tinnitus program at all. If tinnitus is central to your care, tell us at the start, because it rules certain devices out. Our sound therapy page covers the approaches in detail.
Lenire
For selected patients we offer Lenire, an FDA-cleared bimodal neuromodulation device that pairs sound with gentle tongue stimulation. It is candidacy-gated, so eligibility runs through a structured process: a hearing test completed within the past six months, a telehealth consultation reviewing your medical and audiological history, and, if you qualify, an in-person fitting at our California clinic. We periodically host a Lenire field clinic with Dr. Emily McMahan, one of the first Lenire providers in the U.S. Not everyone qualifies, and many patients do well without it.
What follow-up looks like
Tinnitus care is a course of visits rather than one appointment. After the evaluation we set out the plan, then adjust sound therapy and hearing aid settings over follow-ups, track what is changing, and coordinate with ENT, TMJ specialists or mental health professionals where that is the right call. Progress is usually gradual. We track how much the tinnitus interferes rather than how loud it is, because interference is what treatment moves.
Booking
Call 650-342-9449 or request an appointment at San Mateo or San Carlos. Bring any recent hearing test results and a list of your medications. If you have been told there is nothing to be done, that is not our position, and the evaluation will tell us what is actually available to you.
Frequently asked questions
A few questions worth asking
Can tinnitus be cured?
No, and we would rather say that plainly. What treatment changes is how loud it seems, how often you notice it and how much it interferes. Many patients reach a point where the sound sits in the background and no longer runs their day.
How do I get started?
Book a hearing evaluation and tinnitus assessment. That gives us the audiogram, a measure of the tinnitus itself and a picture of what it is costing you in sleep and concentration. Call 650-342-9449 for San Mateo or San Carlos.
When should I see a doctor rather than an audiologist?
Tinnitus in one ear only, tinnitus that pulses in time with your heartbeat, sudden onset, or tinnitus alongside dizziness or a sudden drop in hearing all warrant medical review. We check for these at the evaluation and refer when we find them. Our page on when to see a doctor has the full list.
Am I a candidate for Lenire?
Eligibility is decided through a structured process that includes a hearing test from within the past six months and a telehealth consultation reviewing your medical and audiological history. Not everyone qualifies, and many patients do well with sound therapy, TRT and hearing aids instead.
Do stress and sleep really affect tinnitus?
Yes, and in both directions, which is why they are part of the plan rather than an afterthought. Poor sleep makes tinnitus more intrusive, and more intrusive tinnitus costs you sleep. Breaking that loop is often where the first real improvement shows up.
Will hearing aids help my tinnitus?
If you also have hearing loss, often yes. Restoring ambient sound reduces the contrast that makes tinnitus stand out in a quiet room, and most current devices carry sound therapy signals we can enable on top. It is one part of tinnitus management rather than the whole of it.