So I used to make this joke all the time. Now I have chronic tinnitus. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s nerve damage in your ears which often comes as a result of being constantly exposed to very loud noise for a long period of time. The nerve damage results in a constant ringing/buzzing in your ears. So far there’s no cure. The severity of it varies, and I’m lucky to have a mild case, which I can barely hear during the day and is easy to block out at night. That said, loads of people with tinnitus aren’t so lucky. Severe tinnitus can’t be blocked out. Those who suffer from it also suffer from severe loss of sleep, depression, anxiety…. the list goes on. Tinnitus also comes with a degree of hearing loss in most cases, making it even harder to ignore. In fact, some people with severe tinnitus kill themselves just to make the ringing stop. Tinnitus can be so severe that it drives a person to suicide. Chronic tinnitus used to mostly be prevalent in older people who worked for years with loud machinery etc, but all of a sudden it’s becoming more common in our generation. Why? Because of people, like me, who listened to their music too goddamn loudly through their headphones.
Deaf by the time you’re 20? Please. That’s the least of your worries.
Please reblog. This post reminded me to move my music further away and turn it down. Someone else may need to be more cautious of their shit too.
Chronic mild tinnitus here, too, due to too many metal concerts in my youth. Turn your headphones down a little. Wear earplugs at concerts. Protect your ears.
Your eyes have an iris that can shrink down, and eyelids that can squint shut, to protect them from light that is too bright. Your ears have NOTHING to block out sounds that are too loud. It’s up to you.
Tinnitus sufferer from drumline in high school checking in. These days I wear earplugs at concerts, rehearsals, clubs, and even movies sometimes. Get yourself a set that look like these ones:
Etymotics Research was one of the first companies I’m aware of to widely market with this
sort of ear plug, and they’re great, because they reduce noise fairly
evenly across the spectrum, and so you hear everything accurately, just
quieter. While they’re certainly more expensive than the foam earplugs
that you see everywhere, they also are washable and last for months and
months, and sound great, if not better than without for live music. Please protect your ears. There is no way to recover lost
hearing.
Apparently I had this. I just thought silence was a ringing sound
you also might have even been “born” with this. a lot of people with sensory issues (especially autistic or ADD/ADHD people) experience this when it’s silent around them but havent actually hurt their ears with music at all.
so its also a sensory processing thing and you can be “born” with it (aka develop with it in childhood) like i have
Wait I thought that ringing was normal?? I hear ringing when its dead silent are you seriously saying my ADHD causes this???? I thought everyone had that???!!??!
normal people dont have that ringing noise. while it’s minor in cases of sensory development issues from developmental disorders, it can be severe if a person with a developmental disorder listens to loud music. i know that sometimes during a sensory overload from autism, the ringing will become terribly loud
Oh lord ok. Be careful with loud noises. Gotcha. I didnt realize not everyone hears that ringing. I thought it was normal so I never asked if anyone else heard it too. Thanks for the warning about loud music! Ive always tried to avoid going to concerts because of the ringing but I thought it was a thing everyone put up with and that I was being a wimp. Im glad I have an explanation!
Also, about ear stuff, try to avoid getting water in your ears, like seriously my ears make bubble popping sounds or something when ever I swallow etc. It’s been like that for years. And yes, I do hear ringing sometimes when it’s really quiet. Probably is bc I’m autistic.
Also: at loud events like concerts, the sound check person will have been wearing earplugs when they do the check. The band is wearing earplugs. Loud events are calibrated for earplugs, so you aren’t missing out on a true experience if you protect your ears.
I have moments where I’ll suddenly lose most hearing in an ear and it’s a muffled sound with a loud ringing in that ear. It happens randomly a few times a day with no warning.
whait WHAT??? i can’t get over that I DO HEAR A FAINT ‘’tiiiiiii’’ WHEN SILENCE IS HAPPENING AND YOU TELL ME IT’S MY ADHD DOING THAT????*DUDE* fuck! what??? no one else hear that????shit!!! argh! and im used to not listen to my music loudly also! im actualy super sensitive and super jumpy when someone randomly plans to play with music volume close to me.
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