I wear hearing aids and have only 25% of hearing in my left ear and 50% in my right ear. I sustained this injury in Desert Storm from an artillery impact, just far enough out of the kill zone, but close enough to have permanent damage to my hearing. I have been rated 10% service-connection compensation for hearing loss, 10% for tinnitus and 30% for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
As you will read in a couple of other posts, hearing loss and especially tinnitus can lead to misdiagnosis of mental illnesses and greatly impede coping and functioning. While writing these reviews I was thinking back and had come to realize it took me 7 or 8 years to desenitize to the constant drone of static and auditory garbage. The constant roar, ringing, and pulses triggered my PTSD and I did not realize it until I read these articles. My oh, my how we can forget some of the biggest things to happen in our lives, that is, we who have the blessing of traumatic experinces.
Noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus ONLY?
ReplyDeleteNIH Publication No. 95-3404, July 1998. Updated Nov. 2001.
“Ménière's disease is an abnormality of the inner ear causing a host of symptoms, including vertigo or severe dizziness, tinnitus or a roaring sound in the ears, fluctuating hearing loss, and the sensation of pressure or pain in the affected ear. The disorder usually affects only one ear and is a common cause of hearing loss. Named after French physician Prosper Ménière who first described the syndrome in 1861.”
A MENIERES DISEASE OVERSIGHT?
Both the 7/9/57 VA Rating Board’s 10% hearing loss only and the VA 3/22/05, 60% service connected Menieres disease award retroactive to 1999, not 1956, overlooked their known or should have known:
1. A 6/26/57 VA SERVICE MEDICAL RECORD REVIEW AND EXAM FOR THE 7/9/57 VA RATING BOARD’S 10%. THE 6/26/57 VA ATTENDING PHYSICIAN ON 4/3/58 submitted the 7/9/57 Board’s knew or should have known “NO VESTIBULAR FUNCTION” et. al. evidence to the USAF. THIS EVIDENCE RESULTED IN THE 6/25/58 “SURGEON HQ ARRC MEDICALLY DISQUALIFIED FOR MILITARY SERVICE”. THE very same EVIDENCE IS THE BASIS FOR THE SERVICE CONNECTED 3/22/05, 60% MENIERES DISEASE AWARD!! Six (6) months after the “DISQUALIFIED” was the “Recommended for Reenlistment Yes” IN THE USAF 2 JANUARY 1959 “HONORABLE DISCHARGE”!
2. The since 1861 medically known Menieres disease symptoms in the veteran’s 5/27/53, 5/28/53, 5/29/53, 6/2/53, 7/22/54, 5/13/55, 7/21/55, 5/21/56, 6/26/57 and 4/3/58 SERVICE & VA, 1952 to 1958 TO DATE, in hand RECORDS.
3. The then 1952-1956 violated 1948 Air Force Regulation (AFR) 160-3 “Precautionary Measures Against Noise Hazards” with its overall exposures were never to exceed 95 dBA.
4. The 1953, 121 page BENOX REPORT that set forth the then known certain jet engine noise injuries, e.g., the “vestibular” and noise “effects” are addressed thirty five (35) and one hundred and ten (110) times respectively. Established is injury well beyond a hearing loss only.
5. The 1956, 130 page JET ENGINE, TR54-401 “Acoustic Energy Control” report. 71 of its 99 noise level readings were Department of Defense (DOD) known prior to the 1953 BENOX REPORT. In the veteran’s case it is the USAF Cadet Wing Commander washout Physician’s 1/29/54 recorded UNPROTECTED “...on warm-up crew for F-86D with very high noise levels.” A TR54-401, page 31, 1951 & 1952, F-86D, J47 jet engine noise level from 117 dB to 186 dB. An American Medical Association for each 6 dB increase in noise level, sound pressure (X) doubles for a 13 X to over 16,384 X times worse than the AFR 160-3 never to exceed 95 dBA!
AN EXTREME NOISE LEVEL HEARING LOSS AND TINNITUS ONLY?
Quit your whining! Commit suicide like every body else.
ReplyDeleteClassy trolling, you guys don't even make me mad anymore. Grow up 12 year old, it will take time. If you are 24, then grow up it is time. If you are above any of those ages. You are the problem, not the people who served to protect your right to be a dick. Now, go find your flock of dicks to hang with. It's not here, or welcome we are kicking you out from under your bridge bitch.
ReplyDelete