[salty dog]

FLL, for what it's worth, I've had tinnitus for about a dozen years now, slowly getting worse. I think it's a bit different with everyone. I find it is harder to block the noise now whereas earlier on, I would hear it less often. For the uninitiated, imagine the high buzzing sound of an old fluorescent light fixture and multiply that several times and that's what it's like for me (at least). I have heard it can get so severe it can practically drive you mad. I was told by a hearing specialist a few years back that they can fit you with frequency canceling hearing aids that you tune to your particular frequency and it greatly reduces the sound. If it continues to worsen for me, that's in the cards for me.
Good luck to you.