Add nicotine to the list of items that cause temporary increases in tinnitus. Essentially, anything that causes the blood to thin can increase tinnitus. People who for years were free of any problems report an onset of tinnitus after being on Coumadin, Plavix, etc. for a while.
I'm an audioprosthologist and deal with this problem on a daily basis. The only practical solution, and not an infallible one at that, is hearing aids. There are a few tinnitus "maskers" out there which look like a hearing aid, but technically don't function as one. Considering that 90% of the cases of tinnitus are related to hearing loss, the aids are the better way to go.
Tinnitus can be a horrible, debilitating thing for some people. I sympathize with those that have severe cases.
Please don't fall for any of the miracle cures and gimmicks out there. Trust me, if anyone had a cure for tinnutus the world would beat a path to his/her door without any advertising.
