Engaging Introduction

Let me tell you about the sound that nearly drove me crazy.

It started on a Tuesday. I was sitting at my desk, answering emails, when I noticed a faint high-pitched ring in my left ear. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t painful. But it was there—a thin, persistent whine that seemed to come from nowhere.

I ignored it. Then it got louder. Then I started noticing it at night, when the house was quiet and there was nothing to distract me. I’d lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to a sound that didn’t exist outside my own head.

For three weeks, I convinced myself it would go away. It didn’t. I made excuses: “It’s just allergies.” “I’ve been stressed.” “Maybe it’s my imagination.” Finally, my wife said, “Go to the doctor. Now.”

I did. And the first question the doctor asked changed everything: “Have you been to any loud concerts or worked with power tools without ear protection?”