Close your eyes for a second and imagine something that annoys you to no end. I know, it isn't pleasant, but just do it. It could be anything from people chewing their food loudly, or people tapping their pens on the table, or even that one guy from high school who thought he was always being funny. Imagine a color, a smell, a sound, a texture, anything. Think of that one, incredibly annoying thing, and then imagine living with it constantly without a break.
It is there with you when you wake up in the morning, it is there with you in the shower, it is there with you when you go to work. No matter where you go, that one annoying thing is there existing in your personal space. Imagine constant chewing, tapping, or lame jokes that are borderline racist. No matter how many times you turn up your music to drown out the noise, no matter how much you try to cover your ears, it is still there. You're constantly hearing it, seeing it, around it.
I imagine that probably isn't an experience anyone would like to live with. It would be a life filled with very unhappy and agitated people, right? Well, chances are, you've encountered someone who has to live with a current situation similar to the one you just imagined. If you haven't yet, I'd like to say "hello!" because now you have encountered that someone.
Roughly one in five people are affected by this annoying condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is a constant ringing or beeping in the ear, and it doesn't go away. It is usually a symptom of a different condition, so the ringing isn't the only thing the people have to worry about, though it usually isn't serious.
The ringing varies in sound: sometimes it's low-pitched, and sometimes it is a higher pitch. Regardless, that ringing is always with the people it affects, and it is one of the most annoying things I have ever had to live with (though every other song on the radio being a Taylor Swift song is a close second). Even now, the high-pitched ringing I hear is present and going strong (you know that really high-pitched noise kids in middle school would play to freak people out? That's what my ringing sounds like).
Tinnitus is frustrating because there isn't one definite cause. In my case, I've gone to three doctors, and none of them know what's wrong with my ear. Comforting, right? My eardrum is apparently white when it is supposed to be a grayish color, which all three have said they've never seen before. Tinnitus can also be caused by ear wax build up, an ear infection, exposure to loud noises, age-related hearing loss and a number of diseases. You can learn more about tinnitus here.
I've only had tinnitus for a month (which isn't long compared to a lot of folks), and there have been times where I've either cried myself to sleep or threatened to stab my ear drums because the ringing was all I could focus on. It makes everyday living pretty hard sometimes, and I don't think a lot of people who don't have the issue quite grasp that. Just because it doesn't prevent people from performing everyday functions doesn't mean it isn't debilitating. There are support groups for people who have the "phantom noises" because it can get so incredibly bad.
I'm writing this article because tinnitus isn't limited to being a simple annoyance. It is stressful, and it makes a hard life even more difficult. It's not something I can "just ignore," or "get over." Try telling that to the numerous veterans and every one out of five people; don't tell us that we just need to "man up" and just not hear it anymore. I think I speak for the majority of the people with tinnitus that if we could get over it that easily, we would.
They say you never know what you have until it's gone. And boy, have I realized how much I miss silence.
