←back to thread

I have tinnitus. I don't recommend it

(blog.greg.technology)
185 points gregsadetsky | 1 comments | 21 May 25 22:50 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
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”.
replies(2): >>44057952 #>>44057958 #
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 #
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 #
1. 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.