Hearing Loss - Serious Question

Big Sarge · 07-03-2008, 03:53 AM

I had a hearing test as part of my preparation to return to the US. In the past year, I have had a significant hearing loss in my right ear. In the midrange, I had a 70. Last year, I had a 15. The Army will be doing further tests when I get back to the US.

Does anyone know if this is severe enough for a hearing aid? I'm worried about my career

regular.joe · 07-03-2008, 04:28 AM

Drink water, changer your socks, you'll be fine.

regular.joe · 07-03-2008, 04:31 AM

Seriously, my BN CDR in Iraq and a Drill Sergeant that I worked with both had hearing aids. I"m not sure how to read that test. I don't think it's a show stopper.

Just out of curiosity, you shoot right handed?

Big Sarge · 07-03-2008, 04:49 AM

Right handed shooter, but I always wear plugs. This was my first tour in an AVN BN. I'm thinking aircraft noise. Of course, it could be old age. I'm older than the parents of most of my troops

DanaC · 07-03-2008, 07:24 AM

Sarge, if the hearing loss is sudden it might be worth having a general health check-up. I was reading the other day that sudden hearing loss can be a sign of oncoming stroke. I don't know how sure they are about it, it may just be early research (didn't read the article that closely)

Flint · 07-03-2008, 09:24 AM

Hearing loss runs in my family. Either that, or working on oil rigs causes hearing loss.

Sundae · 07-03-2008, 09:27 AM

I can't get anyone to take my hearing problems seriously.
I was tested as a child - four or five times - but they don't seem to want to test me as an adult.

I might go to a hearing aid place, just so I have a record of the fact that it is an issue. Or not of course, but just a general comparison with collegaues suggest I don't have good hearing.

Good luck Sarge.

Flint · 07-03-2008, 09:39 AM

We always use CC for the hearing impaired or subtitles in English at my house.

Tink · 07-03-2008, 10:19 AM

My oldest son is deaf so I've dealt with hearing loss, tests, hearing aids, research, etc for 21+ years.

In a standard hearing test (un-aided/no hearing aid), a reading of 70 is a severe hearing loss. The reading basically is your threshold, a threshold being the smallest of detectable sound.
For people with "normal" hearing, the threshold is 35db, basically conversational speech.

A hearing aid would be a huge benefit to you with this type of loss. Did your Dr. say whether it was a conductive loss or a sensory-neural loss? One being inner ear and the other being nerve.

xoxoxoBruce · 07-03-2008, 10:41 AM

70 is severe, but was it at 1 test point? 2? 3? I'm guessing the test you had was just the basic, run them all through to check for problems, kind of screening.
It might indicate an ongoing problem, or may be an anomaly, but more comprehensive testing and diagnosis is clearly warranted.

I've had hearing aids in both ears since 1980, and while it's a major pain in the ass, especially with telephones, I do function. Of course I miss some of the "sweet nothings", but having a volume control does have advantages.

Big Sarge · 07-03-2008, 01:53 PM

This was the standard screening we have at the beginning and end of every tour. I won't know more till I see the doctors back in the US next week. It weighs heavy on my mind because it has been a fight for me to stay in the military the past couple of years due to "declining health/old age".

Sundae · 07-03-2008, 06:29 PM

Interesting:

Turn your sound down before trying - you can always go back.

I lost sound at 4 mins 30
I am very surprised it wasn't sooner - but then I don't have trouble with isolated sounds, only distinguishing between them in noisy places.

HungLikeJesus · 07-03-2008, 06:35 PM

SORRY SARGE, IS THAT BETTER?

lumberjim · 07-03-2008, 06:37 PM

what?

morethanpretty · 07-03-2008, 08:03 PM

Whenever I can't hear what someone said, I usually just pretend I did.

07-03-2008, 03:53 AM	#1
Big Sarge Werepandas - lurking in your shadows Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: In the Deep South Posts: 3,408	Hearing Loss - Serious Question I had a hearing test as part of my preparation to return to the US. In the past year, I have had a significant hearing loss in my right ear. In the midrange, I had a 70. Last year, I had a 15. The Army will be doing further tests when I get back to the US. Does anyone know if this is severe enough for a hearing aid? I'm worried about my career

07-03-2008, 04:28 AM	#2
regular.joe Старый сержант Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NC, dreaming of large Russian women. Posts: 1,464	Drink water, changer your socks, you'll be fine. __________________ Birth, wealth, and position are valueless during wartime. Man is only judged by his character --Soldier's Testament. Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature. - Marcus Aurelius.

07-03-2008, 04:31 AM	#3
regular.joe Старый сержант Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NC, dreaming of large Russian women. Posts: 1,464	Seriously, my BN CDR in Iraq and a Drill Sergeant that I worked with both had hearing aids. I"m not sure how to read that test. I don't think it's a show stopper. Just out of curiosity, you shoot right handed? __________________ Birth, wealth, and position are valueless during wartime. Man is only judged by his character --Soldier's Testament. Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature. - Marcus Aurelius.

07-03-2008, 09:24 AM	#6
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Hearing loss runs in my family. Either that, or working on oil rigs causes hearing loss. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

07-03-2008, 09:39 AM	#8
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	We always use CC for the hearing impaired or subtitles in English at my house. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

07-03-2008, 04:49 AM	#4
Big Sarge Werepandas - lurking in your shadows Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: In the Deep South Posts: 3,408	Right handed shooter, but I always wear plugs. This was my first tour in an AVN BN. I'm thinking aircraft noise. Of course, it could be old age. I'm older than the parents of most of my troops

07-03-2008, 07:24 AM	#5
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Sarge, if the hearing loss is sudden it might be worth having a general health check-up. I was reading the other day that sudden hearing loss can be a sign of oncoming stroke. I don't know how sure they are about it, it may just be early research (didn't read the article that closely)

07-03-2008, 09:27 AM	#7
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I can't get anyone to take my hearing problems seriously. I was tested as a child - four or five times - but they don't seem to want to test me as an adult. I might go to a hearing aid place, just so I have a record of the fact that it is an issue. Or not of course, but just a general comparison with collegaues suggest I don't have good hearing. Good luck Sarge.

07-03-2008, 10:19 AM	#9
Tink Why oh why? Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 186	My oldest son is deaf so I've dealt with hearing loss, tests, hearing aids, research, etc for 21+ years. In a standard hearing test (un-aided/no hearing aid), a reading of 70 is a severe hearing loss. The reading basically is your threshold, a threshold being the smallest of detectable sound. For people with "normal" hearing, the threshold is 35db, basically conversational speech. A hearing aid would be a huge benefit to you with this type of loss. Did your Dr. say whether it was a conductive loss or a sensory-neural loss? One being inner ear and the other being nerve.

07-03-2008, 10:41 AM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	70 is severe, but was it at 1 test point? 2? 3? I'm guessing the test you had was just the basic, run them all through to check for problems, kind of screening. It might indicate an ongoing problem, or may be an anomaly, but more comprehensive testing and diagnosis is clearly warranted. I've had hearing aids in both ears since 1980, and while it's a major pain in the ass, especially with telephones, I do function. Of course I miss some of the "sweet nothings", but having a volume control does have advantages. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-03-2008, 01:53 PM	#11
Big Sarge Werepandas - lurking in your shadows Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: In the Deep South Posts: 3,408	This was the standard screening we have at the beginning and end of every tour. I won't know more till I see the doctors back in the US next week. It weighs heavy on my mind because it has been a fight for me to stay in the military the past couple of years due to "declining health/old age".

07-03-2008, 06:29 PM	#12
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Interesting: Turn your sound down before trying - you can always go back. I lost sound at 4 mins 30 I am very surprised it wasn't sooner - but then I don't have trouble with isolated sounds, only distinguishing between them in noisy places.

07-03-2008, 06:35 PM	#13
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	SORRY SARGE, IS THAT BETTER? __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

07-03-2008, 06:37 PM	#14
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	what? __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

07-03-2008, 08:03 PM	#15
morethanpretty Thats "Miss Zipper Neck" to you. Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: little town (but not the littlest) in texas Posts: 2,957	Whenever I can't hear what someone said, I usually just pretend I did. __________________ Addicts may suck dick for coke, but love came up with the idea to put a dick in there to begin with. -Jack O'Brien

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