Same here.

Funnily enough, I started noticing mine more when I moved to a new Apple silicon macbook that didn't need the fan running full all-day.

I was like "oh cool - I can have a silent workspace now", and I also disabled my Dyson fan's "constant air quality monitor" which spit our some constant decibels. Then when I was in silence, I realized I could notice it a lot. Maybe it's why I didn't notice it in the first place.

> I always wear ear plugs at loud events like gigs

It's kind of a blessing to experience it so you can be aware.

But do you read the articles you post?

They conclude there is no link from current data.

Using your logic you could blame any new reported medical condition on COVID.

The reality is that with such a huge vaccine rollout all over the world, there should be data by now.

There are also things that happened during the covid outbreak not related to the disease itself, such as more stress, people were in online meetings more, sharing workspaces at home which could have caused an increase in headphones usage, etc, etc.

> that's a "known thing."

Please show me the data! Because I looked and its not there.

Data current at the time that paper was written.

And I didn't blame it on COVID.

It's irresponsible to ignore the likelihood of under-reporting, not to mention the fear of being "canceled;" this was mentioned in the article about the vaccine researcher getting it.

Was there anything else that happened around that time?

COVID? Falling asleep to loud headphones? Rock concerts? Do you blast music while you code? Change in ambient room noise?

How old are you?

Me:

I noticed an increase in volume of mine at the start of the year.

Was after a clubbing night with insanely loud music. From which I caught my first COVID case too.

I was guilty of blasting music while coding at night. Especially when having a few beers, I would increase the volume without noticing it.

Have also fallen asleep with headphones blasting music.

Mine is white noise and a minor electrical kind of thing. I completely understand how it can disrupt your life.

I'm glad it happened to me because now I take preventative measures when around loud music or at concerts. Otherwise I would never have known. When people think about damaging their hearing, they think its like a gradual thing they will notice, and will just mean they can't hear some frequencies. But I don't think people expect tinnitus.

People don't know. There needs to be more awareness. Rock concerts are way too loud without ear plugs.

For me, I habituated, and don't notice it anymore. It really is a psychological issue. Much with anything in life, the answer is to simply not think about it. And appreciate that it was always going to happen so there is no need for regrets.