How Good Hearing Is Critical While Fighting in a War
May 05, 2022
Hearing is particularly critical when fighting a war. It is also necessary to hear other sounds and voices in different settings when a veteran returns home.
While many people might not connect diminished hearing with war, the fact is that a lack of hearing can cause a delayed reaction time when attempting to return fire and pinpoint the location of incoming enemy fire. Loud explosions, chattering weapons, and military vehicles and machinery are unavoidable noises for most active service personnel. To see how hearing loss could affect a tank gunner, visit here.
Hearing loss is one condition veterans suffer from deployment. If a soldier returns home and has to figure out how to handle their new health condition, it can be challenging to determine the next steps. Military vets can be affected by TBI, PTSD, toxic exposure to burns and asbestos pits, and hearing damage. Returning to civilian life can further shock a veteran’s system. Mental and physical health can become secondary to struggling to live in society.
The Veterans Affairs Department provides numerous resources for vets with hearing loss and other non-profit organizations, such as The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW).
One of the most frequent issues seen at V.A. medical centers is hearing loss and tinnitus. Veterans are more likely than nonveterans to have severe hearing losses.
A U.S. veteran may have damaged hearing if:
- They have buzzing or ringing in their ears.
- They struggle to hear someone talking from three feet away.
- They have difficulty understanding what people are saying.
- They feel their ears are “full” after being in a noisy location.
The maximum benefit rate in one or both ears is 10 percent.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), hearing impairment is a more significant problem for veterans who served after September 2001. In particular, veterans involved in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). There was a higher incidence of veterans exposed to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and roadside bombs. Sound waves from those blasts can damage the tympanic membrane (eardrum) and the middle ear. Some may heal on their own. Some may require surgery. Hearing aids may be a factor to consider as well.
Many veterans sustain permanent hearing loss and tinnitus if the continuous blasts they are exposed to damage the cochlea’s tiny hairs, the ear’s snail-shell-shaped organ. This is not the only way veterans lose their hearing. If they are exposed to the high-pitched screaming of jet fighters and jet propulsion fuel, that can happen.
It has also been the case that veterans exposed to jet fuel may pass hearing tests but do not comprehend what they hear due to a dysfunctional brain.
Between 2003 and 2015, the 3M company lauded its dual-ended combat arms earplugs. Ultimately, they turned out to be defective, and in 2018, 3M paid $9.1 million to the U.S. Department of Justice to settle allegations they had sold faulty earplugs to the military. Lawsuits against 3M do not affect disability benefits.
Suppose you run into difficulties seeking veteran’s benefits. In that case, Legal Help For Veterans PLLC is a nationwide V.A. Disability law firm that assists veterans and their family members in all federal V.A. benefit matters.
Legal Help for Veterans PLLC has a national practice representing veterans from across the country. We have helped veterans collect over $30,000,000 annually in future and retroactive benefits.