Noise induced tinnitus is what one
might refer to as military tinnitus
. This is
especially relevant to those who have been on active
service in the military since the period of the World
War II onwards. The immense effect that noise has on the
hearing faculties of our ears is best exemplified by
military service men that are posted on duties that
require them to be regularly exposed to loud noise
levels.
Tinnitus Associated with
Military Service:
There are a few peculiar
features that are typical of noise induced tinnitus
associated with the armed forces.
·
Armed forces personnel
are regularly exposed to potentially damaging noise
levels during their years in active duty.
·
There is a high
instance of military men afflicted by some hearing
related complications during or after their tenure in
active duty.
·
Repeated exposure to loud noises
like gun shots, artillery, aircraft noise
etc can cause serious damage to the ear. Guns are
capable of producing very high frequency acoustic energy
that can cause damage to hearing ability when heard
repeatedly over time.
·
Military tinnitus can
result from a hearing loss related problem because of
damage to the inner ear or as is more common, from
damage to nerves in the lining of the auditory
canal.
·
Some of the common symptoms of
military tinnitus
are – hearing ringing or
buzzing sounds in the ear or the head in the absence of
any external sounds. This condition can vary in pitch
and frequency. Other hearing related problems that might
occur are dizziness and extreme discomfort under loud
sounds.
This condition is also often accompanied by
depression and anxiety.
·
Until recently there
were no concerns for taking steps to reduce or muffle
noises for military men since the relation of noise to
subsequent tinnitus problems were not clearly identified
or understood.
·
More recent studies have brought to
light the fact that acoustic trauma and neurosensorial
hearing disability are very real
consequences of exposure to high noise level,
particularly those that are heard in close proximity gun
shots.
·
While some military
tinnitus
go away after a short spell. Others stay on for
a life time and can seriously affect a person’s quality
of life and mental health.
While a lot of expenditure is
incurred in trying to treat military tinnitus, many ex
servicemen are left running from pillar to post in
search of a cure or lasting relief from the sounds of
tinnitus. Very few have taken it on themselves to seek
out a more fulfilling option of curing tinnitus in a
holistic
manner.
