It’s a staggering fact that there are today more than 20 million US war veterans. Luckily they are well cared for by the Department of Veteran Affairs that runs the largest intergrated healthcare system in the US.
Veteran Affairs (VA) was set up in 1930 to “consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans.” The principal of caring for US soldiers injured in battle dates back to 1636 and the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony when a law was passed which stated that disabled soldiers would be supported by the colony.
Younger tinnitus patients on the increase.
However the demographics of the VA population have been changing over the past several years with the average age of veteran’s entering the system falling. Many of these younger patients suffer from tinnitus. “The number of tinnitus claims has increased dramatically over the past several years and, because the VA clinics are so busy with this increased patient load, audiologists want hearing aids that are easy to fit and dont require many follow-up visits,” says Tina Papke, Vice President with ReSound Government Services. “Our ReSound Alera TS products offer superior hearing aid performance coupled with relief from tinnitus, and this can be life-changing for many VA patients.”
A life changing experience
Deb Caster, audiologist and Regional Account Manager with GN ReSound’s South US Government Services, has seen this life-changing experience first hand. “I had the pleasure of spending the day with one of my customers at a VA outpatient clinic in Hollywood, Florida, assisting with ReSound Alera TS fittings. The patients of course, were veterans, and many had tinnitus,” she says.
“One particular gentleman, a Vietnam veteran and a member of the infamous 101st Airborne, had been troubled with tinnitus for several years which he had not discussed until now because his hearing was becoming so poor. He described the sounds as ‘jungle noises’ or screeching but he couldn’t comment on it any further due to the traumatic circumstances he experienced during the war,” Deb explains.
“When we conneted the ReSound Alera TS devices, his expression immediately changed to surprise and then to quiet tears of joy and relief. His wife, who accompanied him, asked ‘Are you hearing now, honey?’ and she began crying when he nodded through the tears. His tinnitus was significantly reduced, and he was speechless at how comfortable he felt. It was amazing and heartbreaking at the same time when you consider his past wartime experiences,” Deb says.
Tinnitus hearing aids can make a difference
Stories like the one from Deb Castor illustrate the difference that a high quality versatile hearing aid can make in the life of a person with tinnitus. But you don’t have to be a US war veteran to experience tinnitus. One in ten people in the UK have some awareness of tinnitus and it can take the form of a whistling, ringing, humming sound or even music. It can be a temporary condition brought on by a cold or exposure to loud sound or it can be constant. It can affect people of all ages, even children, although it is most common in older people and the majority of people who experience tinnitus also experience a degree of hearing loss. There is a body of evidence that suggests that treating the hearing loss can provide significant benefit to many people who experience hearing loss.
If you would like to find out more about tinnitus, you can visit the British Tinnitus Association website at www.tinnitus.org.uk.
All information contained in this post has been taken directly from the ReSound Sound Magazine Issue 3 June 2013.
