Why is the silence so loud?

I wasn't sure whether this should go here, or in general. So I figured "well, I have a 50/50 shot, I'll throw it here and see what happens". XD

I was sitting in my room the other day with no electronics or anything on aside from the lights. No TV, no iPod. My parents were asleep, so the house was silent. But there was this irritating sound, and it seems like it's only in my head since I heard it when all the lights were off as well.

It's like... a muted ringing. Like when your ears are ringing from listening to music too loud. But it's... different from that. Maybe a combination of buzzing and ringing? Or like a buzzing/ringing/flourecent light that got muted? I dunno. But since that night, I've noticed that I'm always hearing it. It's always there. Which is odd, because I don't listen to loud music (during the summer) and haven't listened to headphones for weeks.

It's not much of an issue. I just pop iTunes up and drown it out, and I won't complain about having to listen to music all day (until I listen everything that I like to death XD). But still...

Does anyone else have this problem?

I think I know what you're talking about, I sometimes get that, for me I would describe it as a static haze kind of noise that is oh so quiet, so only noticable in absolute silence. However I find that it goes away if you make a noise and doesn't come back for a while.
Mine though might be related to an eye condition I have, it causes me to see specks hovering over my entire field of vision. It looks like very faint static and is a greeny tinge. I forget what the name for it is, seeing as it doesn't come up much as I don't notice it usually, it's so faint.
Anyway, you're not alone on this .

That's good to hear.
Well, I'm not glad that someone else has to put up with it, but...
Meh. You know what I mean. XD

Static haze seems like a good way to describe it. Though for me it's loud enough, and so persistent, that it's difficult to drown out unless I'm watching TV, or have music going.

I think it's called "tinnitis," and LOTS of people have it, including me. It's a constant buzzing or ringing in your ears. I don't believe the doctors know what causes it, but hundreds of thousands of people go to their doctors about it every year. If you want the last word on the current research, make an appointment to see an ear, nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist) and they can measure how loud it is and tell you more about what can happen in the future. You're not imagining anything, you're really hearing something. But it's within you, not from outside. Take care!!

Might be a slim chance it's tinnitus, but you've would be extremely bothered if you had it and tinnitus sufferers know the discomfort that comes with it. Do you have sinus problems or high blood pressure - both can cause noise in the ears. It's not noticeable until everything is completely quiet.

It could also be from routine Ipod use. I worry about the affects of music from Ipods on young people who have them in their ears, way more than they should. Hearing loss is accumulative - the hair in our ear drums slowly and gradually wear away, from repeated noise.

I agree with Ygrec & Lynn Tinnitus is what it sounds like but you would have to have that diagnosed by an audiologist and probably by an ENT.

I hope for your sake it isn't but there are hearing aids you can get that emit a low range pitch which is much less painful and easier to listen to. Wishing you luck with this,

Rhiannon

I have a crazy short friend named mckenna who says silence is loud. Hope this helps