I was diagnosed with tinnitus several years after I retired from the US Air Force. I was in Law Enforcement, so I spent a lot of time with firearms and during the Gulf War in 1991, not only was I exposed to a significant amount of gun and weapons fire, I was also severely wounded while assisting with the rescue of a downed aircrew. On a side note, I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath and was deployed to the Gulf. My 3 years at RAF Lakenheath were the most fun of my 20-year career! I was shot in the neck and in the hip, and as a result of these injuries, I've undergone 13 spinal surgeries. My spine is fused from C2 to T2 and it's supported with two titanium rods and 32 screws.
Several years after I retired, I began to notice a loud ringing sound in both ears, and as others have said in this thread, I chose to ignore it thinking that it was just part of the aging process. After my wife demanded that I see a hearing specialist, I was diagnosed by the Veterans Administration with major hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears. At the time (late 90s), while hearing aids helped with the hearing loss, there really was no treatment for the tinnitus. My doctors told me that the tinnitus had been caused by a combination of the loud noises and nerve damage caused as a result of the injury to my neck. I learned to live with the tinnitus, although at times it was quite distracting. Over time, the effects of the tinnitus became worse and it got to a point where it was almost unbearable. A constant, high-pitched ringing in both ears that would vary in intensity from hour to hour.
Fast forward to about 3 years ago and I was back at the Veteran's Administration for my annual hearing exam. My hearing loss had stabilized but the tinnitus was getting worse and worse. The audiologist told me about new hearing aids that reportedly suppress the tinnitus sound by sending opposing sound waves to the ears It's very similar to a noise cancelling headset. I was given a hearing exam that tested different sound frequencies and the hearing aids are adjusted to the frequency that best cancels the tinnitus noise. I was one of the first patients at the VA to be provided with these new hearing aids. I was absolutely astounded by the difference they made and I'm now on my third pair. The technology in the hearing aids has progressed to the point where I no longer hear any of the ringing sound in my ears. They have completely changed my life, as I am now much more engaged with people and I'm not distracted by the ringing sound in my ears.
It my be worth a shot to check with your audiologist to see if this type of hearing aid is available to you and if so, if he/she thinks they might help. In my case I'm lucky because the Veteran's Administration pays for them. If I had to purchase them myself, my out of pocket cost would be in the range of $7500...certainly not cheap, but well worth the price for the relief they provide.