Hearing Loss & Tinnitus

[EODCMC]

Opened an FDC for tinnitus and hearing loss today. 28 years of EOD, Boatswain's Mate, Engineman and deep sea diving with multiple ear squeezes should account for my messed up hearing...right?

[Buck52]

EODCMC

It should 

But be aware the Hearing loss you have will depend on your Audologist Test & Maryland CNC word discrimination testing.

you need to tell the audiologist that performs your Hearing test about the Ringing sounds in your ears and they are of constant sounds ,  this is Known to you as Tinnitus. 

How much hearing you have lost  depends on the decibels they use in a VA Hearing test @ 5000 decibels  in each phase of the testing.

It will show what % of hearing loss you are in both ears.

To be rated 50% for Bilateral Hearing loss  you are consider very deaf  anything more and your consider to be of Profound Hearing loss and damn near deaf.

 but as long as you can hear the  tones during the testing  then your not consider totally deaf.

50% Hearing loss bilaterally is pretty deaf.

Hearing loss is one of the hardest claims to file on as for as a High % with hearing loss... its not so hard for Service Connection.

[EODCMC]

Thanks Buck!

Yes, I had hearing loss recorded in my SMR. It certainly has worsened but not to the level that you reference. Just a lot of what? what? ...and lip reading when the grand kids are about. I do have tinnitus and it has worsened. 

I was referred to a specialist. The results are hearing loss in the high range and tinnitus. He said this type of hearing loss is not usually helped by hearing aids and is definitely a result of long exposure of high decibels of noise. This is mentioned in the report. He also said he would support the notion that it is service connected since I've been riding a desk since retirement.

I submitted my SMR audio tests, current exam, Fast Letter 10-35, my SMRs showing multiple ear squeezes from service deep sea diving and experimental diving. I also included my Verification of Military Experience and Traing and DD-214.

I think that about sums it up. Thanks again for your help.

[Buck52]

Yes I am sure your MOS qualifies you for Noise Induced  Bilateral Hearing loss from your previous military days.

The only thing about your bad hearing around your family and learn to read lips because of your hard of hearing

IS the test is performed in a sound proof booth with door closed and headphones placed over the ears...so the sounds you hear are coming straight into your ear canal and is in a solid quite environment.

We do not live in a world 24-7 IN a sound proof Booth, so actually its hard for most veterans that can hear poorly but don't understand what is being said.

About all a veteran can do is say yes or raise his hand when he hears the tones being played through the Headphones & hope the test went well 

This is where in my opinion the VA has the upper hand.

In my opinion all veterans should be tested for hearing loss without headphones and a one on one  word discrimination test with just him and the Audiologist...to me this is a better true reading of the veterans hearing loss. and let the Audiologist decided the percent of the veterans hearing loss   but they let they rely on machine in a sound proof Booth to determine the percent of loss of hearing.

 The Audologist should be allowed to give a veteran a 0% to 10% 20%30%40%50%  are all the way to a 90% loss of hearing...if your are totally deaf  then that's an automatic 100%

I believe a good set of hearing aids would help you hear better after you get use to them...Hey there free even if you are rated at a low% or your S.C that's all you need.

  Ask for the hearing Aids   and they will either use your last hearing test or get you to take another test  either way  this will get you some Great Hi Quality hearing aids from well known Manufactures to the cost of 4000-6000.00$$$ the Audiologist will place a hot/warm wax mixture in both your ears & press it in  & with a string attached  and you wait about 5 minutes and then they pull the wax  from your ears and this makes the mold of the inside of your ears  so they can custom make your hearing aids.

They have state of the Art AIDS now days..ones that you control for TV, OR Adjustable for certain sounds and voices.

back ground noses is mostly eliminated ...like hums of a Refrigerator  or ceiling fan back ground noise.

[EODCMC]

I can't argue. I hear much better with noise reducing Bose headphones. I thought the same thing as they were conducting the test.

[EODCMC]

BTW, I asked the Doctor why he didn't recommend hearing aids. He said, and I am taking this out of context, that hearing aids don't help with high frequency loss. He said that were there no ambient noise nor high frequency sounds to inhibit the reception, I would probably hear someone easier. Apparently, hearing aids don't eliminate and might enhance those sounds as well. This was a specialist and not from the VA. In fact, he said that tinnitus is high frequency and is likely a contributor.

Edited November 12, 2016 by EODCMC
Additional thoughts.

[Buck52]

I would disagree with that unless this Specialist has a loss of hearing problem same as yours?

Its all trial and error with hearing aids because of the fact of different thousands of sounds & tones and  high frequency  , so why not give them a try? you probably be very glad you did.

some people can understand a person better than others...at the same level of speech...meaning the little hairs inside your ears are vibrated differently to the sounds you hear.