Tinnitus Loudness Test

What it measures

This self-check estimates two standard clinical measures of tinnitus: its loudness as a sensation level (dB SL) — how far above your own hearing threshold the tinnitus sits — and the minimum masking level (MML), the level of sound that just covers it. Together they describe how loud your tinnitus really is and how easily it can be masked, rather than how loud it merely feels.

How it works

First you tune a tone to roughly the pitch of your tinnitus. Then you drop the tone's level until it is just barely audible — that point is your hearing threshold for that pitch. Next you raise the level until the tone is about as loud as your tinnitus; the gap between that match and your threshold is the tinnitus loudness in decibels of sensation level (dB SL). Finally you raise a band of noise until it just covers the tinnitus, giving the minimum masking level, also expressed relative to your threshold. A well-known clinical finding is that even tinnitus that feels overwhelming is usually matched only a few dB above threshold — typically under 10 dB SL — which is why loudness and distress are only loosely related.

Tips for an accurate result

• 1Expect a small number — that is normal — Matched tinnitus loudness is usually only a few dB above threshold, often under 10 dB SL, even when it feels loud. A small dB SL does not mean you are imagining it; it is the standard clinical finding.
• 2Loudness and distress are different things — How much tinnitus bothers you depends far more on attention, sleep, stress, and mood than on its measured loudness. A low dB SL with high distress is common and very treatable.
• 3Use the masking level to guide sound therapy — If a low level of background sound covers your tinnitus, gentle sound enrichment — a fan, soft music, or a sound app at or just below the masking level — can make it far less noticeable.