Assuming you go to the doctor and find out you do have tinnitus and it’s permanent, I can totally understand the panic you’re feeling right now. It’s a very existential, pit of your stomach sense of dread you’re feeling right now.

As somebody with tinnitus that is likely more severe than yours is right now, and have had it as young as you if not younger, you will get used to it with time, to the point that 90% of the time, you won’t hear it at all. Right now it’s going to seem far worse and suffocating because more than anything the tinnitus is triggered by remembering that you have it. Since it’s going to be stuck on your mind for awhile it might feel like you’re suffocating under it but as bad as I have it, it really is only an occasional annoyance.

The important thing is to start protecting your hearing today. Ear plugs at concerts, plug your ears when the ambulance drives by, don’t blast the music in your car so loud.

Don’t despair, when it’s really bad there are things that help like white noise, which can be generated on your phone or you can set up a fan at night. iPhones have a feature now that can add subtle nature sounds or white noise behind whatever else you’re listening to including music, if you find that’s something that helps you.