Tinnitus Treatment
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head when there is no outside source: ringing, buzzing, humming or hissing, constant or on and off. About one in five Australians experience it at some stage. For most it fades into the background. For some it takes over sleep, concentration and mood.
No treatment reliably switches tinnitus off. Treatment can reduce how loud it seems, how much it bothers you, and how often you notice it. At our Forestville and Epping clinics, Dr Signe Steers measures your tinnitus, identifies what is driving it, and builds a plan from the options with the strongest evidence behind them, including Lenire. We are one of two Lenire provider clinics in NSW.
Book a tinnitus assessmentCall (02) 9315 8327
Who we see
- Ringing or buzzing that has lasted more than a few months
- Tinnitus that keeps you awake or makes it hard to concentrate
- Tinnitus with hearing loss, or with hearing that seems normal
- Tinnitus after noise exposure, such as concerts, gaming, work or military service
- Tinnitus that has become louder or more intrusive
- People who have tried apps or maskers without enough relief
Your tinnitus assessment
A tinnitus assessment goes further than a standard hearing test. It takes about 90 minutes and covers four things: your hearing, the health of your ears, the tinnitus itself, and how much it affects your life.
What we measure | How | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Impact on your life | Case history, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) | Sets a baseline so we can measure progress with the same questionnaires later |
Ear health | Otoscopy and tympanometry | Rules out wax, fluid or eardrum problems that can cause or worsen tinnitus |
Hearing | Pure tone audiometry, extended high-frequency testing to 16,000 Hz, speech testing in noise | Most tinnitus sits alongside some hearing loss, often at frequencies a standard test misses |
Inner ear function | Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) | Checks the outer hair cells, which are often damaged by noise |
The tinnitus itself | Pitch and loudness matching, minimum masking level, residual inhibition | Shows what your tinnitus sounds like, how easily it is covered, and whether it quietens after sound is removed. This guides the choice of sound therapy |
Sound tolerance | Loudness discomfort levels | Identifies sound sensitivity (hyperacusis), which changes how treatment is set up |
You leave with an explanation of the results and a recommended plan.
When tinnitus first appears, the brain treats it like an unfamiliar noise outside the house at night: it focuses hard on it to decide whether it is a threat. Many brains decide it is harmless and tune it out. Others keep checking, and that attention makes the tinnitus harder to ignore. Much of tinnitus treatment works on that response.
Treatment options
The right treatment depends on your hearing, how much the tinnitus bothers you, and what you have already tried. Most people use a combination.
Your situation | What usually helps first |
|---|---|
Tinnitus with hearing loss | Hearing aids prescribed to your hearing test, with a tinnitus sound program if needed |
Tinnitus with normal or near-normal hearing | Sound therapy, plus education about how tinnitus works |
Tinnitus that disturbs sleep, mood or concentration | Counselling and CBT-based approaches alongside sound therapy |
Tinnitus with jaw clenching, grinding or neck tension | Referral to a physiotherapist alongside sound therapy |
Musicians and people exposed to noise | A hearing protection plan, including custom filtered earplugs |
Persistent, bothersome tinnitus in adults that other approaches have not settled | Lenire bimodal neuromodulation |
Tinnitus with a possible medical cause | Referral to your GP or an ENT specialist |
Hearing aids. When tinnitus comes with hearing loss, correctly prescribed hearing aids give the most consistent relief. Restoring the sounds you have been missing gives the brain something other than the tinnitus to listen to. Most major brands include built-in tinnitus programs that play soft background sound or nature sounds. As an independent clinic we fit all major brands, so the choice is made on your hearing and your tinnitus rather than a supplier agreement.
Sound therapy. The aim is habituation: low-level background sound, set so the tinnitus stays just audible, that helps the brain treat tinnitus as unimportant. Loud sound that covers the tinnitus gives short-term relief, but the tinnitus returns as soon as the sound stops. We help you find sounds you find comfortable, using apps such as Widex Zen and ReSound Tinnitus Relief, and work out how to deliver them. During the day that might be bone-conduction headphones or hearing aids. At night, a Bluetooth sleep headband or mask plays sound without earbuds.
Counselling, sleep and relaxation. Understanding how tinnitus works takes much of the fear out of it. We explain the difference between the tinnitus signal and the brain's reaction to it, and why attention, stress and quiet make it louder. Tinnitus is usually most intrusive when you wake in the night, so the plan covers sleep: a consistent routine, sound at night and relaxation exercises. We draw on the principles of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest research support for reducing tinnitus distress, and where that would help, we will recommend seeing a psychologist experienced in tinnitus.
Jaw and neck. Clenching, grinding and neck tension can change how loud tinnitus seems. When we find these, we recommend physiotherapy and, with your consent, send our report to your physiotherapist so treatment is coordinated.
Hearing protection. If noise caused or worsens your tinnitus, protecting the hearing you have matters as much as treating the tinnitus. For musicians, that means protecting your ears without losing the ability to hear yourself play: custom filtered earplugs, a sound level app to check exposure at rehearsals and gigs, and guidance based on the World Health Organization's safe listening recommendations.
Medical management. Some tinnitus has an underlying cause that needs treating first, such as wax, middle ear problems or a vascular cause. We refer to your GP or an ENT specialist when the assessment points that way.
