Veterans and tinnitus – Healthy Hearing

Many people hear phantom sounds in one or both ears, which might be a whistle, buzz, chirp or ringing sound. Veterans who have seen combat or worked in certain fields, such as aeronautics, are at special risk. 

Called tinnitus—(either tih-NITE-us or TIN-ih-tus is correct)—a persistent ringing in the ears is the number-one disability among U.S. veterans. Tinnitus is also a growing problem among active-duty service members, according to a 2019 study.

Because many people in the military do not seek care, “there is not definitive data about the prevalence of tinnitus in veterans,” said Katie Edmonds, an audiologist in the Bay Pines, Florida Veterans Affairs Health System. “The most common mistake is assuming that since tinnitus cannot be cured, there is nothing that can help.”

The impact of tinnitus varies a great deal. Some people find it doesn’t bother them. But in others tinnitus interrupts their sleep or concentration and can trigger negative emotions. In a 2021 study of nearly 900 veterans with tinnitus, people with moderate to severe cases were more likely to have post traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety. About a third of all people with tinnitus also have hyperacusis, which is hypersensitivity to noise.  

The VA has developed a program that can help veterans “manage reactions” and cut its impact, Edmonds explains. 

What causes tinnitus in veterans?

Hearing loss

Like the general population, tinnitus in veterans is strongly linked to hearing loss. Anywhere from half to 90 percent of people with tinnitus have hearing loss. If your tinnitus is a high-pitched sound, the hearing loss is likely to be in those registers, which are key to understanding speech.

Loud sounds and head injuries

Loud sounds damage ears. They are a prime cause for both hearing loss and tinnitus, especially among veterans who are exposed to blasts and gun noise. Loud noises rattle not just the eardrum, but also the little bones in the inner ear and the cochlea, a fluid-filled organ with thousands of tiny hair-like structures that convert sounds into electrical impulses. Even a single gunshot can permanently damage your ear at any of these junctions. Combat and infantry veterans are especially likely to have a hearing loss pattern called “shooter’s ear.”

In 2019, researchers at the VA San Diego Healthcare System assessed the hearing of 2,600 Marines before and after they were deployed into combat. Predictably, combat tended to aggravate any tinnitus they had before. Both PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were linked to worsening tinnitus, especially among the Marines who had a TBI because they were exposed to a blast.

Delayed effect

Sometimes the tinnitus emerges or becomes bothersome years after combat. The effects of TBIs can be delayed. Age- or …….

Source: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53330-Veterans-and-tinnitus-military-ringing-in-ears