Is this urgent?
When tinnitus is worth seeing someone about
Most tinnitus is not a medical emergency. A few patterns are worth acting on sooner, sudden hearing loss is a same-day matter, and signs of a possible stroke need emergency care. This checklist shows you which is which.
- About a minute
- Nothing is saved or sent
- It never tells you that you are fine
What this tool will not do
It will never tell you that you are fine. It can raise a concern; it cannot clear one — because a checklist only knows what it asked about, and being told “routine” by a web page when something was actually wrong is a harm worth designing against. If nothing here applies to you, that is useful information and not a verdict.
All patterns and where to read about each
Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department
I suddenly have weakness, numbness or drooping in my face or an arm, or trouble speaking or seeing
Can Tinnitus Be a Sign of Stroke? Sudden Hearing Loss and VertigoCall your local emergency number or go to an emergency department
I have sudden, severe vertigo or loss of balance that will not settle
Can Tinnitus Be a Sign of Stroke? Sudden Hearing Loss and VertigoCall your local emergency number or go to an emergency department
It pulses, and came with a sudden severe headache, sudden neck pain, a drooping eyelid or a change in my vision, or started after a head or neck injury
Carotid Dissection and Pulsatile Tinnitus: An Emergency to RecogniseSeek assessment today
My hearing dropped suddenly, over hours or a few days
Sudden Hearing Loss and Tinnitus: A Real Medical EmergencyArrange an appointment soon
I get episodes of dizziness or vertigo as well as the tinnitus
Vertigo, Dizziness and Tinnitus: Why They Travel TogetherArrange an appointment soon
My tinnitus started after a head injury
Tinnitus After a Head or Neck InjuryArrange an appointment soon
It pulses in time with my heartbeat
Pulsatile Tinnitus: When Ringing Beats With Your HeartArrange an appointment soon
It is only in one ear, and it has not gone away
Acoustic Neuroma and One-Sided Tinnitus: When to Get ImagingArrange an appointment soon
My hearing is noticeably worse in one ear than the other
Tinnitus and Hearing Loss: The Connection ExplainedArrange an appointment soon
It is affecting my sleep, mood, or ability to function
Tinnitus and Anxiety: Breaking the Feedback LoopArrange an appointment soon
I have ear pain, discharge, or a feeling of fullness that is not clearing
Ear Infection (Otitis Media) and Tinnitus: How Strong Is the Link?Worth raising with a clinician
It started after beginning or changing a medication
Ototoxic Medications That Can Cause or Worsen TinnitusWorth raising with a clinician
It has changed noticeably in the last few weeks
Tinnitus Flare-Ups: Why Some Days Are Worse Than Others
If you are worried right now
If you have sudden weakness or drooping in your face or an arm, trouble speaking or seeing, or severe vertigo that will not settle, call your local emergency number now (999 in the UK, 911 in the US). These can be signs of a stroke; stroke and tinnitus lists them.
Of the rest, sudden hearing loss is the pattern where waiting costs most. If your hearing dropped over hours or a couple of days, that is a same-day matter rather than something to watch — why the timing matters.
If the distress itself is what is overwhelming, the SOS breathing tool is built for getting through a bad few minutes. It will not change the sound, and it is not a substitute for support — if you are in crisis, contact a doctor or a crisis line in your country.
Next steps
- How tinnitus is diagnosed — what an assessment actually involves
- Impact self-check — describing how much it is affecting you, for the appointment
- Treatments compared — what the evidence supports, once you have been assessed
Common questions
Can this tool tell me whether my tinnitus is serious?
No, and it is built so it cannot pretend to. It can point out that something you described is a recognised reason for assessment. It cannot tell you that nothing is wrong, because a checklist only knows what it asked about — and the thing that mattered might never have been on the list.
I ticked nothing. Does that mean I do not need to see anyone?
No. It means nothing you described appears on this particular list. If your tinnitus is worrying you, affecting your sleep, or making it hard to concentrate, that is a reasonable reason to see someone on its own — distress is the outcome tinnitus care has the strongest evidence for improving.
Which of these is genuinely urgent?
Sudden weakness or drooping in the face, trouble speaking or seeing, and severe vertigo that will not settle can be signs of a stroke: call your local emergency number. A pulsing sound with a sudden severe headache or sudden neck pain needs emergency care too. Of the rest, sudden hearing loss is where timing matters most: outcomes are better when treatment starts early, so it is a same-day matter rather than something to monitor.
Is anything I tick stored or sent anywhere?
No. Nothing leaves your browser and nothing is saved. Close the page and it is gone. There is no account, no analytics on your answers, and no server involved — this site is a set of static files.
Read next
Pulsatile Tinnitus: When Ringing Beats With Your Heart
Why tinnitus that beats with your pulse is investigated differently.
Acoustic Neuroma and One-Sided Tinnitus: When to Get Imaging
Why new one-sided tinnitus is taken seriously, and how rare the cause is.
Do You Need a Scan for Tinnitus? What the Radiologists Recommend
When imaging is recommended, and when not having one is the right call.
First Audiology Appointment for Tinnitus: What to Expect
What an assessment involves, so you know what to bring.