Hearing Loss Now A Military Epidemic

Roadside Bombs Send Troops Home From Combat With An Alarming Rate Of Hearing Damage

(AP)  U.S. soldiers and Marines caught in roadside bombings and firefights in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home in epidemic numbers with permanent hearing loss and ringing in their ears, prompting the military to redouble its efforts to protect the troops from noise.

Hearing damage is the No. 1 disability in the fight against terror, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and some experts say the true toll could take decades to become clear. Nearly 70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing loss, the VA said.

"The numbers are staggering," said Theresa Schulz, a former audiologist with the Air Force, past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association and author of a 2004 report titled "Troops Return With Alarming Rates of Hearing Loss."

One major explanation given is the insurgency's use of a fearsome weapon the Pentagon did not fully anticipate: powerful roadside bombs. Their blasts cause violent changes in air pressure that can rupture the eardrum and break bones inside the ear.

Also, much of the fighting consists of ambushes, bombings and firefights, which come suddenly and unexpectedly, giving soldiers no time to use their military-issued hearing protection.

"They can't say, `Wait a minute, let me put my earplugs in,"' said Dr. Michael E. Hoffer, a Navy captain and one of the country's leading inner-ear specialists. "They are in the fight of their lives."

In addition, some servicemen on patrol refuse to wear earplugs for fear of dulling their senses and missing sounds that can make the difference between life and death, Hoffer and others said. Others were not given earplugs or did not take them along when they were sent into the war zone. And some Marines were not told how to use their specialized earplugs and inserted them incorrectly.

Hearing damage has been a battlefield risk ever since the introduction of explosives and artillery, and the U.S. military recognized it in Iraq and Afghanistan and issued earplugs early on. But the sheer number of injuries and their nature - particularly the high incidence of tinnitus - came as a surprise to military medical specialists and outside experts.

The military has responded over the past three years with better and easier-to-use earplugs, greater efforts to educate troops about protecting their hearing, and more testing in the war zone to detect ear injuries.

The results are not in yet on the new measures, but Army officials believe they will significantly slow the rate of new cases of hearing damage, said Col. Kathy Gates, the Army surgeon general's audiology adviser.

Considerable damage has already been done.

For former Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly, 27, of Austin, Texas, the noise of war is still with him more than four years after the simultaneous explosion of three roadside bombs near Baghdad.

"It's funny, you know. When it happened, I didn't feel my leg gone. What I remember was my ears ringing," said Kelly, whose leg was blown off below the knee in 2003. Today, his leg has been replaced with a prosthetic, but his ears are still ringing.

"It is constantly there," he said. "It constantly reminds me of getting hit. I don't want to sit here and think about getting blown up all the time. But that's what it does."

Sixty percent of U.S. personnel exposed to blasts suffer from permanent hearing loss, and 49 percent also suffer from tinnitus, according to military audiology reports. The hearing damage ranges from mild, such as an inability to hear whispers or low pitches, to severe, including total deafness or a constant loud ringing that destroys the ability to concentrate. There is no known cure for tinnitus or hearing loss.

The number of servicemen and servicewomen on disability because of hearing damage is expected to grow 18 percent a year, with payments totaling $1.1 billion annually by 2011, according to an analysis of VA data by the American Tinnitus Association. Anyone with at least a 10 percent loss in hearing qualifies for disability.

From World War II and well through Vietnam, hearing damage has been a leading disability.

Despite everything that has been learned over the years, U.S. troops are suffering hearing damage at about the same rate as World War II vets, according to VA figures. But World War II and Iraq cannot easily be compared. World War II was a different kind of war, waged to a far greater extent by way of vast artillery barrages, bombing raids and epic tank battles.

Given today's fearsome weaponry, even the best hearing protection is only partly effective - and only if it is properly used.

Some Marines were issued a $7.40 pair of double-sided earplugs, with one side designed to protect from weapons fire and explosions, the other from aircraft and tank noise. But the Marines were not given instructions in how to use the earplugs, and some cut them in half, while others used the wrong sides, making the devices virtually useless, Hoffer said. Today, instructions are handed out with the earplugs.

In any case, hearing protection has its limits. While damage can occur at 80 to 85 decibels - the noise level of a moving tank - the best protection cuts that by only 20 to 25 decibels. That is not enough to protect the ears against an explosion or a firefight, which can range upwards of 183 decibels, said Dr. Ben Balough, a Navy captain and chairman of otolaryngology at the Balboa Navy Medical Center in San Diego.

The Navy and Marines have begun buying and distributing state-of-the-art earplugs, known as QuietPro, that contain digital processors that block out damaging sound waves from gunshots and explosions and still allow users to hear everyday noises. They cost about $600 a pair.

The Army also has equipped every soldier being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan with newly developed one-sided earplugs that cost about $8.50, and it has begun testing QuietPro with some troops.

In addition, the Navy is working with San Diego-based American BioHealth Group to develop a "hearing pill" that could protect troops' ears. An early study in 2003 on 566 recruits showed a 25 to 27 percent reduction in permanent hearing loss. But further testing is planned.

And for the first time in American warfare, for the past three years, hearing specialists or hearing-trained medics have been put on the front lines instead of just at field hospitals, Hoffer said.

Marines and soldiers are getting hearing tests before going on patrol and when they return to base if they were exposed to bombs or gunfire.

"You have guys that don't want to admit they have a problem," Hoffer said. "But if they can't hear what they need to on patrol, they could jeopardize their lives, their buddies' lives and, ultimately, their mission."

[nothappyatall]

"nearly 70,000 troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears,"

The bush regime war enablers collecting fat checks for THAT? look up tinnitus, its VERY common an dmost old people have hearing damage as do kids from rock/heavy metal.

[ontheleft]

Yeah, and it''s too bad the government has no problem giving billions to defense contractors but is appallingly stingy when it comes to taking care of the soldiers that risked their lives for a paltry $30,000 a year. The federal government is corrupt and evil.

[clifden6]

Dear Mr. Newster 1: The kind of tinnitus you are referring to, if it exists at all, is not the result of old age or the *** music you listen to.

How about in the middle of an 105mm direct support howitzer battery firebase in like Vietnam where I served, where we fired on a 24/7 schedule. The firebase was about 1/4 the size of a football field. The howitzers were in lazy W, of which my SEA hut about 2X the size of Dubya''s desk in the Oval Office, was behind. I napped, I did not sleep, but when I did, I napped and would wake up at dawn with food cans on the top of me, from the back blast.

I was the XO and when not in the exec pit, which was on top of a bunker, I needed to walk the gun line, and we had no earplugs, this was the Marine Corps, not the US Army. Firing commands were readback to insure accuracy, and once the quadrant was given, then the howizter was loaded. Again just how can you protect your ears like this. Vietnam was not WWII, we were engaged all the time. Plus being a firebase we were surrounded and needed to provide our own security, meaning that we were short of heavy weapons. But no problem, some of my street smart Marines were Detroit City ot Chicago, just made midnight requisitions from the US Army, which was swimming in equipment. By the way I didn''t appreciate this remark: Oh well, guess you shouldnt have SIGNED UP as a bush regime war enabler, so you got what was coming to you! It sounds like something I heard after my return from Vietnam.

[ontheleft]

Posted by TheGateway1 at 04:27 AM

You are ignorant. This story was written by the Associated Press, not CBS. Duh. Every major news site is carrying this story.

[hungry1968]

Protect the troops hearing!!

Bring them home!!

[hungry1968]

Posted by newster1 at 02:40 AM : Mar 08, 2008




You''re an F''n scummbag.

[poopusbuttus]

You''''re an F''''n scummbag.


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Posted by hungry1968


Dang HUNGRY, we actually agree on something.

[poopusbuttus]

By the way I didn''''t appreciate this remark: Oh well, guess you shouldnt have SIGNED UP as a bush regime war enabler, so you got what was coming to you! It sounds like something I heard after my return from Vietnam.



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Posted by mutmee

I agree. But, Newster is famous for this. Who knows were he posts from. It doesnt matter...he''s a known jihadist supporter.

At any rate, I do not have tinnitus, but suffer from mild hearing loss as well as I used my ears for a living whilst serving in the military.

I dont know about Vietnam era troops, but in my era of soldiering, the military (at least the Army does), issues troops hearing protection. Especially in line units.

Also, the military performs mandatory hearing tests every year for the troops.

But, the bottom line is this. Outside of being thrust into a combat situation unprepared, each person has a certain level of responsibility for their own protection.

Dont expect the military to bail you out of everything that goes wrong with you.

[mcvet]

Dont expect the military to bail you out of everything that goes wrong with you.


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Posted by poopusbuttus at 06:58 AM : Mar 08, 2008
+ report abuse

You Nazi''s are absolutely UNBELIEVABLE. That God awlful piece of Human Scum YOU call a President lies to the families of our Troops, a total of 935 times that scum and his gestapo LIE to the mothers and fathers of these kids. He sends them to fight a war that NEVER had to be and they end up loosing their hearing. So do you freaks say that''s not good, that''s wrong? NOOOOOOOO!!! You attack someone because they do not support the fuhrer and the "Party". Strange how you losers haven''t changed in all these years! It is NOT strange that you are flat out getting the Krap kicked out of you in this fight. Sieg Heil Bush

[poopusbuttus]

Posted by MCVet at 07:15


MCVET -- I do not attack you because you dont follow Bush, I attack you because your dumb.

[mcvet]

This is not new, nor is it news.

I served in the military for over 20 years. I also suffer from hearing loss, and receive disability because of tinnitus as well as migraines.

BUT, I never served anywhere near where loud noises or artillery was being used. My tinnitus is from exposure to high-frequency noise given off by electronic equipment.

Not all the cases in this so-called ''''report'''' are battle-related. CBullS just doesn''''t want to make that distinction, since this ''''news'''' network is about as anti-American as it can get, trying to shove stories down yours throats disparaging the military and the government every single day.

And if you can''''t see that, I really feel sorry for you.


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Posted by TheGateway1 at 04:27 AM : Mar 08, 2008
+ report abuse

Yeah but we were supposed to have LEARNED something from Vietnam there swastika breath. Know what that was? Well we were NOT going to send our troops off to fight of LIES again. Guess what!! Sir Lies-A-Lot DID and those people who have this problem have it because of those LIES. NOT in defense of this nation! Not for the reasons given his/her family! NOPE, because of LIES told by the trash YOU call a President. Doesn''t that make you want to strut around with that Swastika showing? Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

MCVET -- I do not attack you because you dont follow Bush, I attack you because your dumb.


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Posted by poopusbuttus at 07:17 AM : Mar 08, 2008
+ report abuse

Explain you swastika toten moron!! Exactly what did I post that was "dumb"! The slime dog DID lie didn''t he? He did send those kids off to die KNOWING he''d lied to their families didn''t he. If you doubt that I can give you the web site that has all of the 935 lies listed, documented and all. Why don''t you go there and give us all ONE, just ONE, of those LIES that was truth? Sieg Heil Bush

[mcvet]

poop old buddy I''m waiting! YOU are one of the LEAD nazi''s who constantly come''s on here attacking people because they won''t support the "Party". Now YOU say you aren''t fascist so prove it. Tell me where anything I posted about that slime dog you call a President is NOT true! TRUTH is not dumb and if you''d EVER seen combat you''d KNOW that. Sieg Heil Bush

[usmcvn2]

****king NeoCon Yackoffs!

[bobnjersey]

[Hearing damage is the No. 1 disability in the fight against terror, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and some experts say the true toll could take decades to become clear.]

this is just the tip of the iceberg for medical and psychological by-products of the war. they don''t even try to estimate the true long term costs anymore.

the higher it goes ... the more vets that will get screwed when they have no more money to fund trillions of long term costs.

[joyous88]

Duh!

Same thing happened to the bush administration 8 years ago.

[erasmus6]

"nearly 70,000 troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears,"

"The bush regime war enablers collecting fat checks for THAT? look up tinnitus, its VERY common an dmost old people have hearing damage as do kids from rock/heavy metal." Posted by newster1


Tinnitus can be very bad. It can be a very LOUD ringing in the ears. It can drive people insane. I have heard people say that they have wanted to kill themselves it is so bad. I think William Shatner has tinnitus.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by MCVet at 07:15


MCVET -- I do not attack you because you dont follow Bush, I attack you because your dumb.


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Posted by poopusbuttus at 07:17 AM : Mar 08, 2008

Poopusbutthead who claims to work at the Pentagon, yet doesn''t even know the people of Kosovo were his hated Muslims. Talk about dumb!

[excoachken]

Just another "side effect" from a war that has accomplished nothing!

[ubrew12]

Bush lost his ability to hear long ago. I guess he''d like the rest of us to be like him.

[excoachken]

When asked what he would do about this, the Cowardly Cowboy said,"What, I can''t quite hear you."

[watcher269-2009]

I think this problem extends to the White House and the Vice President''s office too.

[tucano2]

Most former Artillarymen are deaf or nearly so; no amount of "workman''s compensation" will restore hearing or even help but just a little bit.

[tucano2]

It isn''t that Prez Bush can''t hear you Vets; it is that he doesn''t care and he isn''t listening anyway.

[nothappyatall]

"Tinnitus can be very bad. It can be a very LOUD ringing in the ears. It can drive people insane. I have heard people say that they have wanted to kill themselves it is so bad. I think William Shatner has tinnitus.

Posted by erasmus6"

I know what it is, Ive had it since I was a baby, high fever from any of several childhood disease- mumps, measles etc can cause it, it doesnt bother me and I dont even notice it unless I think about it or Im in a totally silent place.
Theres masking devices and white noise in the background also mask it, I dont need either.

I dont consider it ''debilitating'' enough to merit the average Joe sitting at home collecting a fat check on the public dole for ''disability'', there is NO cure and no treatment for it, sitting at home is as bad as sitting at work- its always there and the authorities warn people daily about loud noise and hearing, this will become epidemic as the rock and roller type and boom box, ipod, earbud types get older. If you want to make a lot of money, invest in stocks from a good aid company.

[irliberal]

MCVET -- I do not attack you because you dont follow Bush, I attack you because your dumb.
Posted by poopusbuttus at 07:17 AM : Mar 08, 2008

Wow.... for someone who cannot use proper English.... "you''re", not "your". It is a shortened form of "you are". Yes, folks, Poopus just demonstrates again that his ignorance is a thing to be flaunted. It''s amazing to me that you would dare to write anything at all without having the ability to express yourself intelligently. But carry on, the rest of us need amusement now and then as well!

[tweedle02]

Hmmm..... So this just now comes to light because of roadside bombings??? Hearing loss can come from any number of things in the military. And most usually do. Even if you do wear double ear protection, sometimes even THAT doesn''t work, and you still get your ears damages.

[rohink-2009]

CBS ought to put news article out there warning all the idiots driving around in their cars with the stereo blasting or being hooked up to your i-pod with the volume up high that you are risking hearing loss. I grew up in the 70''s listening to blaring rock and I have suffered hearing loss. But no, they have to print an article about another "epidemic" as the result of the war. I guarantee that more people suffer hearing loss from the above mentioned than from fighting in a war.

[randynason]

The way I hear it, the military has cut widow''s pensions (because thier spouse broke contract when killed before end of tour of duty,) has charged injured soldiers for their lost gear upon release from hospital and redefined what post traumatic stress is. Now, how will they define what is "real" hearing loss, I wonder?

[mh4cbs1]

Beleive me, the tinnitus (ringing in your ears), can be a horrific ordeal. Imagine a lound piercing schreeching noise that is constant, day and night, day after day after day. It may never go away.

That is what thousands of IED survivors are facing.

Bush and Chneey can rot in H*LL for their Lies and War Crimes, and what they have done to our troops. The death and bloody destruction, lives snuffed out, the thousands permanently maimed.

Bush, Cheney, You are War Criminals. You belong in Jail.

Bod Bless American the NeoCon Nightmare is almost OVER!

[mh4cbs1]

The tinnitus (ringing in your ears), can be a horrific ordeal. Imagine a lound piercing, screeching or ringing noise that is constant, day and night, day after day after day. It may never go away.

That is what thousands of IED survivors are facing.

Bush and Chneey can rot in H*LL for their Lies and War Crimes, and what they have done to our troops. The death and bloody destruction, lives snuffed out, the thousands permanently maimed.

Bush, Cheney, You are War Criminals. You belong in Jail.

Bod Bless American the NeoCon Nightmare is almost OVER!

[erasmus6]

"I dont consider it ''''debilitating'''' enough to merit the average Joe sitting at home collecting a fat check on the public dole for ''''disability''''" posted by newster1

Just because yours isn''t debilitating doesn''t mean someone elses isn''t. There could be many that have it way worse than you.

[samrensho]

I wonder how much of this hearing impairment is actually caused by having their ubiquitous I-Pod''s cranked up to high levels?

Disability for hearing loss? I had a 3 profile on my ears which would have kept me from going to Vietnam, but it was removed from my records, went on to serve three tours, but yeay, I have a hearing aid now, but won''t wear it, I have much worse problems.

[confused101a]

Posted by neoconism at 07:51 AM : Mar 09, 2008 The dumb sargeants that allowed their crew to go in the field without hearing protection are dumb American terrorists, all of whom should be imprisoned for grand larceny against the US taxpayer. I despise that my taxes support the dumb downed US Military welfare Complex, the biggest pork barrel in the USA. John McSame supports Corporate American lobbyists, either financially, or in bed.

And you know this for a fact?

[nothappyatall]

" the NeoCon Nightmare is almost OVER!

Posted by mh4cbs1"

Not quite- if McCain wins or stels power like Bush did, then it''s at least 4 MORE years of Bush regime politics as usual.

You''d better HOPE AND PRAY he doesnt win, if anyone deserves a fatal heart attack or fast moving cancer in this world this year its HIM.

[confused101a]

newster1 ------
Let me get this right. If they disagree with your politics%u2019 they should DIE?
--------
NEO------ISM?

[photogeezer]

This is nothing new. I work with veterans, from WWII through the present war. The most difficult claim to get approved for service-connected disability is hearing loss. My artillery vets from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam are routinely denied benefits which would get them hearing aids. If you are serving now, or if you know someone serving, get that hearing loss and tinnitus ("ringing" in the ears) diagnosed while you are in the military. Keep your own copy of your health records.

[dbtmellis]

I have a service conneted hearing loss.
I spent 5 year in the Marines. I was in Kuwait in 2003.
For all those out there who think i sit on my @$$ at home and collect my Disbility check, think again. Im in college, working torwards making a better life for me and my famliy.
So please dont spew out unless trash that you might not be able to back up.

[dbtmellis]

Posted by newster1 at 05:41 PM : Mar 08, 2008

Quote:"I dont consider it ''''debilitating'''' enough to merit the average Joe sitting at home collecting a fat check on the public dole for ''''disability''''

My Response: My last post was refering to lame comments like yours.

[j-whitman]

Huh ?? What was that ???