I’m a 20-year-old woman who recently developed tinnitus. I didn’t go to concerts or work in loud environments; my life was actually very quiet. However, I loved listening to music and would turn it up on public transit to block out the noise around me because it sounded better that way.
I never thought it was excessively loud—just slightly above the background noise. I didn’t realize it was damaging my ears, but it was. Now I have a constant ringing that likely won’t ever stop. It’s honestly not worth it. I don’t even remember most of those times I was listening to music on the way to school, but I definitely remember the sleepless nights I have now because the ringing won’t quit.
I knew about tinnitus and thought it was scary, but I never expected it to happen to me since I wasn’t a drummer or a club-goer. But it can happen to anyone and it’s awful. When you’re wearing headphones and think you can hear fine, please just turn it down a bit. You’ll still hear it well enough, and you’ll get used to the lower volume. Save your hearing while you still have it. You don’t realize how precious silence is until it’s gone. Don’t waste it.
Edit: To be clear, you can still enjoy your music. I’m not saying turn it down until it’s silent, just keep it at a level that is sufficient but not louder than it needs to be. We often overdo it just out of habit.
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It could be related to high blood pressure. There are medications that can help with that specific type of tinnitus.
I ended up with tinnitus from playing too much COD.
Is that the phone ringing? Nope, just my tinnitus being a cruel mistress again.
To add to that advice: look into noise-canceling headphones. They allow you to listen at much lower volumes while still blocking out the world. I’ve been using EarProMax lately and they’re great for keeping the volume safe without losing clarity. Just make sure to test them for comfort if you’re wearing them all day like I do at festivals.
What if I’m just using the music to drown out the tinnitus I already have? 
I got tinnitus during my military service and now I can’t sleep without a white noise machine or a rain app playing next to my bed. Those phone apps have been a total lifesaver for my sleep.
I’ve had tinnitus since I was a child, but I’m still careful to keep the volume low because I’m terrified of further hearing loss.
My goodness, this post really needs to be the standard PSA for anyone dealing with tinnitus. Thank you for sharing this; I truly feel your pain.
On iOS, if you enable ‘Live Listen’ in the control center, the icon will actually show a warning if your decibel levels become dangerous. Here is a link with more info.
I was scrolling through here hoping for a cure, but there’s still nothing. I wish there was a way to just make the ringing stop completely.
You can actually get it without exposure to loud noise. My sister is very sensitive to sound and she still suffers from it.
I’m not sure when mine started; I just assumed it was normal until I got older and realized ‘true silence’ isn’t supposed to have a sound. If you don’t dwell on it, it’s usually fine until you’re in a completely quiet room. I sleep with a ceiling fan on for the hum, but I really feel for those with severe cases. I miss the idea of pure silence, but I’ve accepted the ringing as my default state now, though hangovers definitely make it more intense.
Try playing this at a volume that matches your tinnitus. https://youtu.be/4LZv3ta13Ws. I listen for about 15-20 minutes and the ringing goes away for a bit. it’s the only time I get to experience actual silence.