Happy Thanksgiving, Jenny,

My tinnitus was no doubt caused by loud noise over time.  I
played in the band for a decade, and our thing was to play
as loudly as possible, because it was fun.  The few concerts
and clubs I went to as a young man I found uncomfortable,
and it was about then (20) that I first heard my tinnitus.
Workplace settings I was in were often extremely loud, on
shop in particular, where the noise was literally deafening.
 Add to that target practice and hunting as a young man,
and weapons training in the military, and years of wearing
headsets with the gain turned up high to make sense of the
enemy during the Cold War.  It all adds up.  It accumulates,
and never seems to go away.  The more loud noise you hear,
the more damage there is to the ears.  Sound is pressure,
simple physics. The hammer hits the thumb, the rock 'n roll
hits the ear drum, same result, destroyed tissue.

Lots of causes for noise in the ear, but noise in the ear is
the main villain.  Today I protect my hearing very
carefully, and carry earplugs with me at all times, and even
carry my earmuff hearing protectors to hockey games, any
arena sports, and movies.  I don't give a damn what I look
like, I find the noise painful and distressing, and my
tinnitus is always worsened by exposure to loud noise.

Why you were suddenly aware of your tinnitus, I don't know.
 Mine arrived softly, and has been whining louder and
louder every day since.

The good news is I don't care about my tinnitus.  It can't
hurt me, and unless I actually listen to it, I rarely hear
it.  I have put it behind me as a factor in my life.  And,
please don't think the noise I hear is minor.  It rages, it
roars, it distresses.  A friend describes his tinnitus as
having a shop vacuum in his head all the time.  Mine is like
a thousand large tuning forks of all frequencies struck hard
pressed to my temples, with the occasional army of crickets
marching through.

Nightclubs and rock concerts are the devil.  Loud work
places are the devil.  Guns are the devil.  Never expose
yourself to loud noise, ever.  And, the more I read about
tinnitus, the more I realize there are many causes, not just
noise, so investigate everything.  In your particular case,
I would see an infectuous disease specialist.  Here, I got a
coupon.  Two for one.  I'll go with you.  HAHA!!

He says, 40 years too late.  :-)

There is hope.  You'll get so sick of it, you'll eventually
ignore it.  I'm trying to be cheerful, Jenny.  Hard to do
when you don't feel well, but I'm trying.

Best wishes,

scp