In an article put out by the Deafness Research Foundation, (Winter, 2010), U.S. Army Specialist Opal Hood makes an interesting point.  When going out to battle, no one would neglect to wear a helmet or body armor. Yet, little importance is given to hearing protection.  As a result, most of the patients seen at Bagram Air Field, an ENT clinic, are for hearing-related problems.

Opal Hood quotes Air Force Col. Joseph A. Brennan, who has never met even one patient at his clinic who used hearing protection. He says that the troops feel that wearing any type of earplugs could prevent them from performing properly.

As mentioned in previous blogs, there are so many types of earpieces that don’t interfere with communication. From this article it would seem that the Air Force is not doing enough for its members.

While in Iraq, Brennan noted that the biggest problem is hearing loss and tinnitus caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). IEDs have noise levels that approach 170 decibels, well above the 85 decibel limit recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

There are two types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss is physical damage to the ear, such as broken ear bones. Surgery is the best option for this type of damage.

With regard to sensorineural hearing loss, the nerve in the inner ear is damaged. Unfortunately, the only solution is a hearing aid.

Tinnitus is yet another result of nerve damage to the ear. This is a phantom noise that a person hears even when no auditory stimulus is present.

There are two types of tinnitus: objective and subjective. The advantage of objective tinnitus is that it can be measured by an ENT. With subjective tinnitus, however, the severity is based solely on the claim made by the patient.

Additionally, “blown-out” eardrums are another effect of the high noise levels from IEDs. However, these holes can heal by themselves or can be corrected by surgery.

Perforated ear drum:

Brennan told a story of a soldier who could not hear as a result of ruptured eardrums, and nearly died because he could not hear his fellow soldiers telling him how to avoid the shower of bullets.

Furthermore, Brennan points out that even a hearing loss in one ear can impair a soldier’s ability to tell which direction a gun is being fired, and subsequently endanger his life.

Once again, this is totally unnecessary with the presence of so many high-tech earpieces on the market that are specifically made for such situations. It’s a travesty. Ironically, after a hearing-impaired service member leaves the military, the Veteran’s Administration provides him with hearing aids.

For those retired service members who suffer from tinnitus, they will benefit from Tinnitus DX, a homeopathic remedy for tinnitus.