I've had hearing loss and really loud tinnitus in one ear for more than 40 years, after getting mumps as a teenager. But if I'm not thinking about my tinnitus,

I've had hearing loss and really loud tinnitus in one ear for more than 40 years, after getting mumps as a teenager. But if I'm not thinking about my tinnitus, I simply don't notice it. As soon as I think about it, it's there, really loud, like high-pitch radio static on maximum volume. Over time my brain has become accustomed to separating real sounds from the tinnitus. I can still really appreciate a quiet place, despite the roaring static in my ear. I'm sure that it helped that my hearing damage happened when I was relatively young, and that it only affects one ear, but the brain is amazingly plastic, adapting to cope with your limitations.