Turn Down the Alarm: A 12-Week Plan for New or Worsening Tinnitus

A ringing, hissing or buzzing that will not stop can feel like an alarm only you can hear. This book will not promise silence. It gives you a calm, 12-week plan to deal with what is urgent, understand why the sound feels so threatening, and lower the fear, sleeplessness and constant checking that make the first weeks so hard.

Who it is for

Adults with new tinnitus, or long-standing tinnitus that has recently got worse. It covers readers in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, with situation pages for one-sided or pulsing tinnitus, tinnitus after a concert, a cold or COVID-19, hearing loss in later life, noisy workplaces and the military, musicians, and people who feel anxious or low.

The plan in five stages

• Check: a two-minute red-flag check that tells you how fast to act, including the time-sensitive case of sudden hearing loss
• Understand: what is going on between the sound and the brain's alarm response
• Settle: days 1–14, with sound enrichment, sensible ear protection and sleep basics
• Train: practical mind skills that lower distress, based on the approaches used in CBT for tinnitus
• Steer: track bother and sleep, review at weeks 6 and 12, and know when to ask for more help

The minimum version takes about 10–15 minutes a day; the full version about 20–30 minutes. There is a clear rule for what to do if you miss days.

What is inside

• "Start here: your first 24 hours" and a "Find your page" table for the questions people ask most
• Hearing and sound tools: hearing tests, hearing aids, sound generators and what to expect from devices
• A chapter on sleeping with tinnitus, and one on triggers, spikes and everyday life
• "What to skip": an evidence check on popular pills, supplements and gadgets, and how to spot a scam
• A week-by-week 12-week plan and a country-by-country list of where to get help
• Seven printable tools: appointment sheet, My Sound Plan, weekly tracker, thought check, two-week sleep diary, spike card and a 12-weeks-at-a-glance sheet
• A numbered reference list of clinical guidelines, reviews and trials, with weaker sources clearly labelled

What you receive

• PDF edition: fixed-page layout that keeps tables and printable tools as designed; best for printing.
• EPUB edition: reflowable text for compatible e-readers and reading apps. The printable tools are easiest to use in the PDF.

Both files are delivered as downloads after purchase.

Please note

This is general education about tinnitus for adults. It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, audiologist or psychologist who knows your history. Do not start, stop or change any medicine because of this book. Sudden hearing loss, tinnitus after a head injury, new weakness or numbness, severe dizziness, a sound that beats with your pulse or thoughts of harming yourself need prompt medical help. No book can switch tinnitus off, and no particular result is guaranteed. Research and service details were checked up to 12 November 2026.