Now that the responses to this thread have petered out, maybe it's time to take a look at the results. The proportion of respondents reporting chronic tinnitus seems to have stabilized at about 27%, and this is not far from the average in the general population. Estimates that I've seen range from 10 - 30%, with 15 - 20% being the most common values quoted. The proportion rises in older populations, as you would expect.

As I mentioned in my first post, chances are that people who have the condition will be more likely to respond than people who don't; so a result slightly greater than the average of the population is perfectly reasonable in an unscientific survey like this.

So, to whatever extent this little poll is representative, people are neither strongly encouraged to study audio nor discouraged from it by tinnitus!

I've tried using the concentration techniques of tigre and paranoos to make my tinnitus disappear -- sadly, it doesn't work for me. Concentrating on the sound just makes it stronger and acquaints me more intimately with its details.

I have it. Couldn't tell you a tone, don't know or care. Twenty some odd years in the construction trades, and most without hearing protection makes for a constant drone. Never keeps me awake, see previous sentence and you get the idea.

Worst case was a short barreled .357 S&W and no plugs. That hurt for days. What a dumbass...

Occasional use of a Hilti DX350 without plugs doesn't help either. Hilti DX350

I had no idea Tinnitus was as widespread as this. Phew!

Very rarely, I hear a ringing tone on one ear which will carry on for a few minutes, but strangely enough, I can in most cases stop it after 10 seconds by covering up the affected ear with my finger.

I don't suffer from prolonged ringing tones, though. No surprise really, since I haven't ever been to a "proper" disco And the last loud party is also quite some time ago. At home, I seldomly listen to really loud music - I can't turn my stereo up too loud because of the neighbours, and if I turn my headphones up high, I usually turn them down automatically after 10 minutes.

Well, that's how I react too... but even loud street noise
sometimes forces me to cover ears. I guess it is a normal reaction.

I had tinnitus once and never heard it again.

It's a pity it is so widespread.

EDIT: Does anybody know why I can't use small font in the sig? Tags show as text...