BAGRAM AIRFIELD – When gearing up for a mission in Afghanistan, servicemembers don’t forget their helmet, gloves, weapon, eye protection or body armor. But what about hearing protection?
AF Staff Sgt. Lee Adams, said that more than half of the patients seen in the ENT walk-in clinics are there for hearing related issues.
“The first question I ask a patient who comes in with a hearing complaint is ‘Were you wearing hearing protection?’” said AF Col. (Dr.) Joseph Brennan, the ENT doctor. “Since I arrived in May, I haven't had one servicemember answer yes to that question.”
Many troops say they don’t use hearing protection on missions because they feel it affects their ability to do their jobs and complete their missions, Brennan said.
While in Iraq, Brennan said, he saw more than 600 outpatients in an ENT clinic, and hearing loss was the No. 1 diagnosis there, just as it's today in Afghanistan. Loud noises such as those from IEDs -- the top cause for hearing loss in Iraq and Afghanistan – can cause conductive hearing loss, sensory neuro hearing loss or tinnitus, Brennan said.
The most common problem, the doctor said, is a blown-out ear drum, which is considered a conductive form of hearing loss. This means that sound is not reaching the nerve in the ear that allows people to hear, Brennan explained, adding that it can heal on its own.
“In Iraq in 2004, there was a soldier who was in 2 IED blasts,” Brennan said. “The 2nd explosion really blew out his ear drums, and he couldn't hear a thing. The soldier’s sgt and his fellow soldiers were on a rooftop in a firefight. The bullets were buzzing by his head. His sgt had to tackle him to get him out of the line of fire, because the soldier couldn't hear his comrades yelling for him to take cover.” The incident shows that a hearing-impaired soldier in combat puts himself and his fellow soldiers in danger, the doctor said.
Servicemembers should listen to their leadership about wearing proper hearing protection while they can still hear the warnings, the doctor said.
