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I have tinnitus. I don't recommend it

(blog.greg.technology)
185 points gregsadetsky | 5 comments | 21 May 25 22:50 UTC | HN request time: 0.899s | source
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jorgesborges ◴[22 May 25 01:30 UTC] No.44057903[source]▶
I’ve played drums and loud music for a long time. When I pay close enough attention there’s this persistent, aggravating noise — which I sometimes call “silence”, and other times call “tinnitus”.
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technothrasher ◴[22 May 25 01:41 UTC] No.44057952[source]▶
> which I sometimes call “silence”

I've had mild tinnitus as long as I can remember; my earliest memory of it must have been when I was about four years old. I suspect I've had it my entire life. When I was a child, I thought it was just something normal that everybody had. When I heard the Simon and Garfunkel song, "The Sound of Silence", I thought that was what they were talking about.

replies(1): >>44057963 #
1. grg0 ◴[22 May 25 01:42 UTC] No.44057963[source]▶
Are we talking about that thing you hear when in absolute silence in the dead of night? Is absolute silence even a thing?
replies(2): >>44058022 #>>44061749 #
2. technothrasher ◴[22 May 25 01:52 UTC] No.44058022[source]▶
I don't know what anybody else hears in absolute silence, but I hear a high pitched ringing. I can hear it any time I think about it. Like the other poster said though, my brain filters it out typically when other noise is around and I'm not paying attention to it.
replies(2): >>44058276 #>>44069993 #
3. turnsout ◴[22 May 25 02:41 UTC] No.44058276[source]▶
Same. I guess that’s tinnitus, but I feel lucky that most of the time I seem to filter it out.
4. davidivadavid ◴[22 May 25 13:15 UTC] No.44061749[source]▶
Having tinnitus for a couple decades at this point, I can tell you for a fact "absolute silence" is definitely a very clear memory for me. I would lie in my bed before sleep, and enjoying the experience of complete silence was almost part of my go-to-sleep routine. I'm quite surprised people in this thread seem to assume everyone always has some low-level hiss. I certainly didn't.
5. rossant ◴[23 May 25 05:01 UTC] No.44069993[source]▶
I realize just now I hear this as well. Always have. Always thought it was normal. Guess it isn't.