Tinnitus & Sound Sensitivity
For neighbors in San Mateo, San Carlos, Belmont, Redwood City, Foster City, Burlingame, and the surrounding communities, that proximity makes a real difference. A tinnitus program benefits from convenient follow-up, and being minutes away removes a common barrier to sticking with the plan.
This is the practice's core service area, so it is where we can offer the fullest, most convenient tinnitus experience: thorough evaluation, structured therapy, verified hearing aids, and Lenire for suitable candidates.
At a glance
- Both offices are on the Peninsula, in San Mateo and San Carlos, close to most local patients.
- Proximity makes the follow-up visits that tinnitus care depends on easy to keep.
- Peninsula patients have local access to evaluation, verified hearing aids, and Lenire.
Two convenient Peninsula offices
Our San Mateo office and San Carlos office are only a few miles apart, so most Peninsula patients can pick whichever is easier and switch if their schedule changes. Short drives make the follow-up visits that tinnitus care relies on far easier to keep.
Care built around your neighborhood
Living nearby lets us schedule the periodic check-ins that help a tinnitus plan take hold, from fine-tuning sound enrichment to adjusting hearing aids. Convenience is not a luxury here; consistency is part of what makes habituation work.
The full range of options, close to home
Peninsula patients have local access to everything we offer for tinnitus: a full hearing evaluation, tinnitus retraining principles, real-ear-verified amplification, and Lenire bimodal neuromodulation for those who qualify after assessment.
Familiar with local hearing demands
The Peninsula mixes quiet neighborhoods with busy restaurants, commutes, and tech-workplace noise. We tailor tinnitus and hearing plans to the environments you actually spend time in, so relief holds up in real Peninsula life rather than only in a quiet booth.
When to be seen right away
Even close by, some symptoms cannot wait for a routine slot. Sudden hearing loss, sudden or one-sided tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus, or tinnitus with dizziness should be evaluated promptly, and we can help you understand the right urgent step.
What to expect
What a tinnitus appointment actually involves
- We take the history first15 min
When it started, whether it is one ear or both, what it sounds like, what makes it worse, and what it is stopping you doing. Sleep and concentration matter here as much as the sound itself.
- A full diagnostic hearing evaluation30 min
Air and bone thresholds, speech testing, and middle-ear measures. Most tinnitus sits on top of a hearing loss, and the shape of that loss changes what will help.
- Pitch and loudness matching, where it is useful10 min
We find the frequency and level your tinnitus most closely matches. It is not a severity score. It is a starting point for sound therapy and a way to track change.
- We go through what we found, the same visit20 min
What is causing it if we can tell, what it is not, and which of the options actually apply to you: amplification, sound therapy, tinnitus retraining, Lenire, or a referral.
- A plan you leave with
Written down, with the next appointment booked if you need one. Habituation is a course of care over months, not a device you are handed at the door.
A tinnitus evaluation is a diagnostic appointment, so it is billed to your medical insurance in the same way a hearing test is. We check your benefits before the visit and tell you what your plan covers.
Frequently asked questions
A few questions worth asking
Which office should Peninsula patients choose?
Whichever is more convenient. Our San Mateo and San Carlos offices are only a few miles apart, and you can start at one and follow up at the other if that suits your schedule better.
Why does being local help with tinnitus?
Tinnitus care works best with consistent follow-up, whether adjusting sound enrichment or fine-tuning hearing aids. Living nearby removes the travel friction that often causes people to abandon a plan too early.
Can I be seen quickly if my tinnitus is new?
Yes, and you should be. Sudden, one-sided, or pulsatile tinnitus, or tinnitus with dizziness, warrants prompt attention. Contact us and we will help you understand the appropriate urgent step.