Tool · Tinnitus Triage

Tinnitus Triage: when to get checked

Start here to check how quickly you need a hearing or medical evaluation. This short safety check is the first questionnaire in the tinnitus pathway. It does not diagnose tinnitus or replace an assessment.

About 2 minutes Phone-friendly

For emergency symptoms (feeling unsafe, stroke-like symptoms, severe vertigo, major head injury, etc.): use the Emergency: Hearing, Tinnitus, and Balance guide.

What this tool does: gives a calm starting plan and helps you decide whether to get checked today, soon, or start with self-management + routine follow-up.

Mental health support (U.S. 988)

If tinnitus is affecting your mental health or you feel at risk of self-harm, call or text 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number. You deserve support.

Your tinnitus questionnaire pathway

Start with timing, then identify what is difficult. Complete the TFI when tinnitus is bothersome; you do not need every questionnaire to receive care.

Sound sensitivity matters from the start. Tell your clinician if sound causes discomfort or pain. The survey’s third section asks about sound tolerance. Get sound-sensitivity guidance at any stage.

Questionnaires help prepare for care. Arrange appropriate evaluation and access education or support alongside them. Urgent symptoms always take priority.

Optional: watch the overview

Watch video on Canva (opens in new window) ↗

Prefer to read? Video key points & text summary (no audio needed)

Key Takeaways (60-Second Guide):

Urgent Red Flags First (911 / 988 / Prompt Evaluation): Seek same-day urgent care for sudden hearing loss (especially rapid drops over hours to 3 days; urgency does not expire after 72 hours), call 911 for stroke or neurologic symptoms, call or text 988 if you feel unsafe, and check the Emergency Guide.
3 Clinical Care Pathways: Match your symptoms to Same-Day Urgent Evaluation (sudden hearing drop or severe vertigo), Prompt Evaluation within days to 1–2 weeks (one-sided or heartbeat-synced pulsatile tinnitus), or a Calm First-Week Plan + Routine Audiology.
Calm First-Week Starter Plan: Add gentle background sound slightly below your tinnitus (avoiding stark bedroom silence), protect sleep and avoid constant 'checking,' and wear earplugs only in hazardous noise—not normal quiet rooms.

Video Transcript (0:00–1:00):

(0:00–0:08) New ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears can feel alarming—especially at night. The UCSF EARS Tinnitus Triage tool helps you check for time-sensitive red flags and start a calm first-week plan.
(0:08–0:17) Step 1 checks for urgent warning signs: seek same-day care for sudden hearing loss (rapid drop over hours to 3 days), call 911 for stroke-like symptoms, get prompt care for heartbeat-synced or one-sided ringing, and call or text 988 if you feel unsafe.
(0:17–0:26) Based on your answers, the tool guides you to one of three clinical pathways: same-day urgent evaluation, prompt evaluation within one to two weeks, or a calm first-week plan with routine audiology.
(0:26–0:36) Why does new tinnitus feel so loud? Your brain initially tags an unfamiliar sound as a threat, and dead-quiet rooms increase the contrast—but over time, most brains naturally habituate and turn down the alarm.
(0:36–0:45) You can start three calming steps today: add gentle background sound like a fan or rain at bedtime, protect your sleep routine without constantly checking the sound, and wear earplugs only in loud noise.
(0:45–0:53) Next, schedule a diagnostic hearing test, note simple patterns like when it started and which ear is affected, and explore our Tinnitus Management Strategies and Survey tools.
(0:53–1:00) Scroll down to answer the quick safety check and get your personalized next steps.

Start with a simple first-week plan

This is a good place to start for most people—especially if tinnitus is new and you don’t have a sudden hearing change. You can still use the safety check below to see whether you should be evaluated sooner.

Try this for 7 days

Small, consistent steps often help tinnitus feel less central—especially for sleep, focus, and mood.

Protect sleep (don’t aim for perfect silence)

Use gentle sound at night (fan, white noise, soft audio) and a steady wind-down routine. See: Sleep strategies.
Use sound wisely (relief, not overprotection)

Protect against hazardous noise, but avoid constant earplug use in safe daily environments. Start here: Quick Start map.
Train attention (tinnitus doesn’t need to be the main event)

Use focus tools and “attention reset” strategies. See: Focus strategies.
Support mood and stress

If tinnitus is driving anxiety, frustration, or low mood, use structured coping tools. See: Emotional burden strategies.

Quick safety check (tinnitus-specific)

Selecting an item here does not mean something dangerous is happening. These are patterns where it’s wise to get checked sooner because some causes are time-sensitive or treatable.

1) Do any of these apply?

Pick what’s true today. If you’re not sure, you can choose “Not sure.”

Unevaluated sudden hearing loss or sudden “muffled/blocked” hearing

Hearing dropped rapidly (over hours to 3 days), especially in one ear. Urgency does not expire after 3 days—if unevaluated, seek medical care promptly.

Pulsing/whooshing that matches your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus)

A pulse-like sound in one or both ears.

Mostly one-sided tinnitus OR one ear clearly hears worse

Only/mostly on one side, or one ear is clearly different.

Started after injury, blast, or big pressure change

Examples: accident/fall, explosion/gunfire, diving, rapid airplane descent.

Not sure

It’s okay to want reassurance or help interpreting symptoms.

None of these apply

If you’re worried, you can still contact a clinician.

If you have emergency symptoms (for example, you feel unsafe, have stroke-like symptoms, or severe vertigo), use: Emergency: Hearing, Tinnitus, and Balance guide.

2) When did tinnitus start (or change a lot)?

New or big change in the last 72 hours

Hours to a couple days.

New in the last 3 months

Days to weeks, maybe a few months.

3+ months / stable

Not rapidly changing.

References (guidelines & patient resources)

Your next step

You’ll see one of three results: get checked today, schedule soon, or start a plan.

Calm + safety-first

Answer the questions, then tap “Show my next step.”

Get checked today

Same-day evaluation is recommended

You selected a pattern that is time-sensitive—especially sudden hearing loss or sudden blocked/muffled hearing. The phrase “over hours to 3 days” describes how rapidly sudden hearing loss develops, not a cutoff after which urgency expires. Getting checked promptly helps protect hearing and guides the right medical treatment.

If you can, seek same-day evaluation (urgent clinic, same-day appointment, or emergency care depending on access).
Bring a simple summary: when it started, which ear, and whether hearing changed suddenly.
After you’re safe and evaluated, return to the tinnitus plan resources below.

If you have emergency symptoms (feeling unsafe, stroke-like symptoms, severe vertigo, major head injury), use the Emergency guide now.

Emergency: Hearing, Tinnitus, and Balance guide

Where to go now and what counts as urgent.

Care Navigator: help choosing where to go today

Primary care vs urgent care vs ENT/audiology.

After evaluation: Tinnitus & Hearing Survey

Targeted next steps for sleep, focus, and emotional burden.

Schedule soon

Arrange evaluation soon (days to 1–2 weeks)

Your answers suggest a pattern that should be checked soon, commonly within days to 1–2 weeks. Examples include tinnitus pulsing with the heartbeat, mostly one-sided symptoms, or symptoms starting after an injury or pressure change. This is often about getting the right workup and reassurance.

If you have a PCP, they can help coordinate next steps and referrals.
An audiology hearing test is often a useful early step—especially if hearing seems different between ears.
While waiting, start the first-week plan (sleep + sound + stress + attention) to reduce distress.

Helpful script when you call: “I have tinnitus with (pulsing with heartbeat / mostly one-sided / after an injury or pressure change). I’d like guidance on timing and the right visit type.”

Care Navigator: who to contact + visit type

Primary care vs audiology vs ENT, with urgency-first routing.

While you wait: Tinnitus strategies map (Quick Start)

Sleep, sound, attention, stress, and “when to get checked.”

If symptoms escalate: Emergency guide

Use if you develop emergency symptoms or a sudden hearing change.

Start a plan

Start with a calm, structured tinnitus plan

Your answers did not identify the warning patterns covered by this tool. While an online self-screen cannot rule out underlying medical conditions, your selections do not suggest an immediate, time-sensitive emergency. That is reassuring.

Your next questionnaire is the Tinnitus & Hearing Survey. It asks whether tinnitus is bothersome and whether hearing difficulty or sound sensitivity also needs attention.

Arrange a hearing evaluation: Call UCSF Audiology at (415) 353-2101 to discuss scheduling.
If tinnitus is bothersome: Continue from the survey to the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) to identify which areas of daily life need support.
Sound sensitivity: If everyday sounds cause pain or lasting worsening, do not push through them or abruptly remove protection you need. Plan individualized support.
Help can begin alongside evaluation: Ask about the self-pay UCSF Tinnitus Group, subject to availability. Questionnaires are not an enrollment requirement.
New symptoms: Seek medical evaluation promptly for a sudden hearing change, heartbeat-synced tinnitus, or new one-sided symptoms. Urgency for unevaluated sudden hearing loss does not expire after three days.

Next: Tinnitus & Hearing Survey

Identify tinnitus bother, hearing difficulty, and sound-tolerance needs.

Support alongside care: UCSF Tinnitus Group

Evidence-backed group coping and sound enrichment led by clinical audiologists.

Self-Management: Tinnitus strategies map

Evidence-based next steps with deep links for sleep, focus, and emotional burden.

Care Navigator (if you want a visit plan)

Help choosing who to contact, questions to ask, and visit preparation.

Emergency guide (just in case)

Know the warning signs that should override “start a plan.”

Note: If you selected “Not sure,” that’s common—new tinnitus is unsettling. It’s reasonable to schedule a check for reassurance and to confirm the right next steps.