Post-9/11 military veterans suffer from hearing loss
Many post-9/11 military veterans have suffered injuries; often due to blast pressure and flying debris from explosive devices.
These injuries could include missing limbs, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Other more down-played injuries include hearing injuries and hearing loss is a common ailment among post-9/11 veterans.
Among post-9/11-troops, 414,000 have returned home with auditory injuries, including hearing loss, tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. These hearing injuries are the most common disability among veterans.
Auditory injuries of post-9/11 wars
Blast injuries from explosive devices in the post-9/11 wars have caused hearing problems to many veterans. Loud noises from trucks, helicopters, machine-gun bursts, artillery fire, and blast pressures, are all factors that can cause hearing injuries to military personnel.
According to audiologists, many veterans have suffered from severe auditory injuries that are considered to be a common disability among post-9/11 military veterans.
Only few seek treatment
Hearing loss and tinnitus are classic examples of medical issues that post-9/11 military veterans may or may not be aware they have. Even if veterans are aware of a hearing problem, the condition does not get a lot of attention, as it is not seen as serious.
As a result, very few veterans seek medical attention for their hearing loss and the time between noticing a hearing problem and seeking medical attention for it is often too long.
Medical treatment should therefore be carried out as soon as possible and it is recommended that veterans, upon discharge, should undergo a baseline audiology examination.
Source: www.publicintegrity.org
