In honor of Veterans Day on Saturday, November 11, we wanted to share the two most common health conditions our military veterans face, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers: tinnitus and hearing loss.
Tinnitus has been described as ringing, buzzing, clicking or hissing in your ears. Tinnitus can develop in people of all ages and backgrounds. However, people who are older or who’ve had a lot of exposure to noise are especially at risk. Veterans, due to their exposure to loud noise levels during their service, are more susceptible to developing tinnitus. According to www.military.com, nearly 1.5 million veterans are receiving disability benefits for tinnitus.
Hearing loss among veterans is also prevalent. The Hearing Health Foundation estimates that 60% of American Veterans have suffered hearing loss, with nearly 1 million Veterans receiving disability benefits for hearing loss in 2014. According to the CDC, hearing loss occurrences among veterans may also be attributed to exposure to loud noise during service.
Hearing loss and tinnitus can affect your relationships, making it difficult to interact with others in various listening environments. This can lead to feelings of isolation or depression. It’s important to remember you are not alone in this. If you think you or a loved one may have tinnitus or hearing loss, resources are available to help, such as information on the early signs of hearing loss, information on hearing loss and information on tinnitus.
ReSound also has a free online hearing test that can help give a general assessment of your hearing level. A professional hearing test is highly encouraged to verify any results that you may get.
Click here if you need help finding the nearest VA facility.
ReSound thanks all veterans for their service this Veterans Day.
