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Military service and hearing loss

hearing lossThree in five military personnel leave the service with some type of hearing impairment, often as a result of noise exposure, and more than a quarter of veterans of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from severe hearing loss.

It has been described as a silent epidemic, and it’s one that we’re just starting to get a handle on, because hearing loss is just one of many issues veterans face as they make the transition to civilian life.

The Veterans Administration spends more than $2 billion annually on hearing-related disability benefits, and that is likely just the tip of the iceberg, as more veterans come to experience hearing loss as they age

The Department of Defense is doing its part to take notice, pushing Congress for funding for research into noise-induced hearing loss on active-duty personnel, and into improvements in hearing technology along the lines of efforts that have improved the quality of prosthetic limbs.

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