VA hearing aid sales are on the increase. Tinnitus complaints occur more than hearing loss among veterans due to the types of conflict that young vets are involved in (loud noise exposure – gunfire and bomb blasts).
In 2010, 92,260 veterans began receiving compensation benefits for tinnitus compared to 63,583 veterans for hearing loss. Among Iraq/Afghanistan vets in 2007, 27% of all complaints (not just hearing complaints) were tinnitus related.
Here is a story from a VA audiologist who believes that ReSound Alera TS really changed the life of the veteran she treated.
I fit a soldier today with bilateral ReSound TS hearing aids. He had been referred to me by the TBI clinic. He has normal hearing in both ears, but since being hit by an EDI on duty, he now has constant loud ringing bilaterally. He has reported the tinnitus is so loud that he has difficulty hearing what people are saying. In addition it gives him horrible daily headaches. He had said that medications to help relieve his headaches have not helped.
As I was doing the fitting with Alera TS, I could slowly see him smile and a look of disbelief crossed his face. He did not say much at first. He would simply answer my questions as I was doing the fitting. We sat and talked afterwards. He said he was getting a medical discharge and was going back to school. As he started to leave he shook his head and said, “I cannot believe the tinnitus is gone. After a year of constant tinnitus, it actually has gone away.” He got a little emotional and said he just had to hug me to thank me for all my help. So…I had a big old cry when he left. I just wanted to share how ReSound TS truly made a difference. I have had other success stories with soldiers with tinnitus using the TS, but I think this will be life changing for this young man.