Telegraph article on hearing loss suffered by AFG veterans

This has just hit the streets by the look of it and will probably be in tomorrow's newspaper!

Daily Telegraph article

Eh? Say again all after.....

Litotes

 

The Yanks reported hearing problems a little while ago. I wonder how long before post tour admin will include audiometric testing?

 

Suprised this hasnt popped up before, my grandad was in infantry the whole of ww2, stone death by time he was 50.
Thought it was common thing.

 

I thought it already did?

 

My officially recorded hearing level in my left ear had noticably reduced after a telic tour due to one or two unplanned loud bangs that were just a bit too close! Therefore I assume I am in a strong position to claim compensation..............but I won't.

 

I seem to recall having my hearing tested on my demob via Chilwell.

msr

 

There isn't (as yet) anything in place to ensure that all service personnel are tested prior to, or on return from, a tour other than those who report a hearing problem or are due a routine hearing conservation programme (HCP) . The HCP is done every two years unless deemed to be in an 'at risk' environment in which case its yearly, Perhaps its time that those on herick should be considered to be in the at risk category.

 

When I was young and stupid I lost my ear defenders but was determined I wasn't going to miss a massive GPMG live fire - you can guess the rest. I was pretty much deaf for three days. I did some research and apparently there is a gene variant which means you either have "sensitive" or "insensitive" ears. Insensitive (like mine, thank God) you suffer the deafness, your hearing comes back, on a booth/beep test you seem fine but classically you have trouble if there is an intermediate noise; you have real problems listening to people talking in a loud pub/nightclub.

Sensitive ears - one loud exposure and your hearing is f*****d.

The little tiny rubber defenders didn't give proper protection, but you could pretty much hear with them in and they were a lot better than nothing. Yellow foam nearly deafens you.

I'd be tempted to say a defender in your right ear at all times is a good compromise. Stick one in the left in a long contact if there is a lull. Wearing nothing is all well and good but once firing starts you'll be totally deafened anyway.

Some of the commercially available defenders claim to be able to filter out the dangerous stuff, but of course you run into all kinds of problems if it isn't issue.

 

Perhaps the Commons Defence Committee (and the media) would like to examine why none of the excellent commercial "moulded in-ear filter-type" protections that have been available for nearly twenty years have not been selected and used by the Armed Forces...... oops... that would have cost money...

 

Active Noise Reduction is the way forward and everyone will eventually be issued a pair...they will have to be as all of us will putting in chits for deafness.

G