A big DUH!  I just realized that there is a Tinnitus group here!  Just now joined as a new member.

 Some times I'm so used to it that I forget that it is there until someone tries to talk to me and then I have to sort out the hissing from what they are saying.  Have good days and worse days.  Mostly bad after a stressful time, missing sleep (apanea of course!) and not good eating habits the day before.  I have almost entirely quit putting headphones on to listen to music, because that will trigger it also, even listening at low levels.  Tha's too bad as I have a great cell phone that is a MP3 player as well.  I really like using the bluetooth headphones with it as there is no wire attatched.

Haven't had an audiology test since being in the Navy (71 - 75) to see what my current loses are.  Having been a musician in the past, and hobbyist/ammature recording engineer I greatly enjoy music and a well produced recording.  I really wish that I could listen to music at realistic volumes again.  But I guess like skin cancer the damage is accumulative so thats why it shows up at this stage of life.  (don't have skin cancer but did have a non-malignant thing removed last year which is the result of lots of California and Hawaii sunbathing)

Well so much for growing older, wish I had the mind I have today when I had the body I had at 20 something.