Got it similarly. 7-8 years ago. Probably from ANC. It used to feel loud, now I have to remind myself to hear it. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

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bookofjoe 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Mine started when I was 12 for no apparent reason. A visit to the pediatrician, a hearing test that found my hearing was normal, and that was that. 65 years later (I'm 77) it's EXACTLY the same in pitch and volume, a loud high-pitched whine that doesn't bother me in the least. Once I got used to it and realized it was a permanent thing, it ceased to be annoying or a problem, probably when I was in high school. In my case ANC was most definitely NOT the cause (in 1960). Unless the Russians were already testing their Havana Syndrome weapon in Milwaukee.... One more thing: aspirin and/or caffeine make mine significantly louder for a few hours, though it's still not bothersome.

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tjoff 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

From ANC? Active Noise Cancelling?

Doesn't seem to be a thing?

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smokel 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Apparently, there is no scientific evidence that ANC is or is not causing tinnitus.

ANC reduces background noise, which typically allows users to listen at lower volumes, thereby reducing total sound exposure to the ear. So if the user adapts their volume, that would lead to less risk of tinnitus. This works for me :)

But there are lots of people on forums suggesting that there is a link between tinnitus and ANC. One reason could be that ANC headphones allow you to listen very accurately to inner auditory signals, and if you already had some tinnitus, you might start to notice it.

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kettlecorn 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I developed tinnitus a year ago (I'm in my early 30s). I was living in an environment where it was noisy in the morning so I took to wearing sound cancelling headphones and earplugs to sleep.

A few weeks into it I noticed a persistent ringing and I thought it was some sort of electrical wine in an old house. A week later I realized it was permanent so I cut out my sound cancelling sleep routine, but the tinnitus has stayed.

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zdragnar 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I got tinnitus before ANC was a thing, and I've never been able to comfortably use it for more than a short period of time.

Whenever I do, I swear I feel increased pressure on my ears and my tinnitus temporarily gets worse. I've often wondered if I imagine it, but hearing from others here makes me think it isn't so strange.

	▲	ikjasdlk2234 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Oh weird, I also perceive an increased pressure on my ears, but it's only with my over-the-ear headphones when turned on. My in ear ANC headphones don't do the same. Slight tinnitus here but had it for as long as I can remember.

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functionmouse 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I personally believe active noise cancelling is a direct cause of tinnitus. This is just a personal belief though and I have no direct evidence. I've heard a lot of anecdotes corroborating this.

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nurettin 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Yes it feels like I got it from ANC. Might not "be a thing", just coincided with my ANC use. It is my data point.

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Tsarp 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Did it start around the covid/ WFH time? There are a few theories

1. Airpods or ANC

2. WFH ->. Less movement -> stiff muscles around neck and head -> head trasnfer frequencies changing

3. Covid vaccine

	▲	dahart 7 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I know some people blame the covid vaccine. I had tinnitus before the vaccine and it got louder when I took the vaccine and then got quieter later. But it gets louder with other medications too. I suspect anything that causes inflammation can increase tinnitus symptoms, and the covid vaccine does temporarily increase inflammation. This could easily push someone who hasn’t noticed their developing tinnitus over the edge and suddenly they notice it and associate it with the vaccine. What they don’t know is that they might have noticed their tinnitus 2 months later if they hadn’t taken the vaccine. Statistically, I would expect there to be lots of people, like maybe as much as one or two percent of the population (which amounts to a few million people in the US) who might legitimately associate their tinnitus with the covid vaccine, even if the vaccine actually had nothing to do with it. The same explanation goes for ANC - when you cut out all the noise, suddenly it’s way easier to notice the tinnitus you already had. There might be something with the neck stiffness idea. I do get the feeling my tinnitus lessens when I’m using cervical traction and doing neck stretching regularly.
	▲	zigzag312 8 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		1. Without noise you become more aware of your tinnitus. 2. WFH -> Less movement -> Decreased blood flow can contribute to the onset of tinnitus. Long exposure to high volumes causes hearing damage. Many people set volume on headsets too high to hear better. 3. Many people are diagnosed with tinnitus every day, and some are bound to have it discovered after a vaccine shot. In the same way, some people will have tinnitus discovered after COVID. That doesn’t yet prove causation.
	▲	nurettin 9 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		See this is why we can't have cheap tinfoil.

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bookofjoe 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You're killing me with your acronym. That's a recurring thing here, so don't feel bad.

	▲	antonvs 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Active Noise Cancelling (headphones, earbuds etc.) It probably doesn’t cause tinnitus, but people grasp at straws about this kind of stuff.