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tinnitus hyperacusis veterans jacksonville

A Veteran’s Experience with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

If you’ve ever experienced ringing in your ears (tinnitus), even for just a few moments, you can imagine how disruptive and even crippling it can be when it’s ongoing or frequent.

Tinnitus is often caused by age-related hearing loss and changes. It can also be caused by earwax blockage or ear bone changes. In other cases, it’s caused by certain medications, blood vessel disorders, and other chronic health conditions.

Oftentimes, an exact cause isn’t determined, although it can often be linked to inner ear hair cell damage. There are tiny, delicate hairs in your inner ear and they move in conjunction with the pressure of sound waves. Their movement triggers the release of an electrical signal from an auditory nerve to your brain, which your brain interprets as sounds. But once those inner ear hair cells are damaged, they can send random electrical impulses to your brain resulting in tinnitus.

Interested in learning more about tinnitus? Take a look at this blog post for a list of tinnitus facts.

sergeant veteranTinnitus and veterans

While tinnitus can happen to anyone, today we’re focusing on one group who is disproportionately affected by this condition. In many cases, their tinnitus is brought on by exposure to frequent and repetitive loud noises, including bomb blasts and gunfire – veterans. 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is one the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for veterans, with more than 1 million veterans receiving disability compensation for the condition.

Tinnitus affects more than the ears

Evidence suggests a strong link between a veteran’s hearing and mental health. In 2015, researchers with the VA and Loma Linda University Medical School found that veterans with untreated tinnitus frequently develop anxiety, depression, or both.

Additionally, hearing loss can often lead to isolation and avoidance of social settings, limiting family and caregiver support, and exacerbating mental and physical health problems. 

Untreated tinnitus can also have a deeply negative impact on a veteran’s physical health. 

A 2017 study conducted by the South Texas Veterans Health Care System also reported that without intervention, veterans with hearing conditions who suffer from injuries are more likely to lack progress in their physical rehabilitation, as well as more vulnerable to life-threatening ailments and injuries.

Treatment options

Fortunately, there’s hope. The primary treatment for tinnitus is hearing aids. Research indicates 93 percent of hearing aid users experience a significant overall improvement in their quality of life because of their hearing aids. Such reported improvements include greater overall physical health, cognitive functioning, ability to communicate, and personal independence.

To get a firsthand perspective about the challenges veterans face when dealing with tinnitus, we interviewed a sergeant of the U.S. Army Reserve about his experience living with tinnitus and hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound), which affects approximately 50 percent of individuals with tinnitus. 

In this interview, the sergeant shares his recommendations as well as information for anyone dealing with tinnitus and hyperacusis, including his fellow veterans.

tinnitus hyperacusis jacksonville veterans

A Veteran’s Experience

Q: What is your advice for veterans who think that they may have tinnitus and hyperacusis?

Sergeant: The first thing is to go to a medical professional that understands what you are going through. For me, that is Dr. Mattson of Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center. Secondly, stay away from loud noise. The ear condition isn’t going to get better. You can only keep it the way it is or make it worse. I strongly suggest staying away from loud noises, using masking devices that JSHC provides, and changing your lifestyle to utilize the resources you have, such as medical professionals, family, and your personal fortitude. Life is different now. Medical science cannot fix it yet, but you can make sure it’s not getting worse.

Q: What was your experience at JSHC like?

Sergeant: As you may know, the VA wait time is about a month to a month-and-a-half to see an audiologist. With this clinic, it may be just a few days until you can see an audiologist. When I met with Dr. Mattson, she truly understood what I was going through. I’m in safe hands. Dr. Mattson explained to me what I’m going through. She explained to me what can be done to normalize the situation. You cannot fix it completely, but you can improve your quality of life. She fought to authorize resources for me. I have resources like musician earplugs and a specialized hearing aid for daily use. She got this for me. She made the phone calls. She said, “This veteran needs this.”

“I enjoy being an advocate for my patients that are veterans. To me, it’s about helping them get their life back on track. There is nothing greater than giving back to someone needing the same help. Usually, they are working towards getting back to work and feeling comfortable with being in public again. It’s a hard struggle for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries. These veterans oftentimes have hidden injuries that they feel trapped with. Having the right support makes all the difference.”

Fenja Mattson, AuD, CCC-A
Doctor of Audiology
Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center

Q: Would you recommend JSHC to other veterans dealing with tinnitus and hyperacusis issues?

Sergeant: Through all my experiences with different doctors, audiologists, and ENTs (Ear, Nose & Throat Doctor) I believe strongly whatever branch of military you served, the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center is your best option and the best treatment that you will get.

I would ask for Dr. Mattson. She truly cares about vets. There is no cure for our condition, but there are things she can do for you to improve your quality of life. That’s what matters. The doctor cares. She knows what you are going through. She can help you with what you are going through. I believe this is the best place for vets to get treatment.

Q: What caused you to seek treatment at Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center?

Sergeant: Since being discharged from active duty, Duval County is my home. I went to a few audiologists and I went to the VA, and most of the responses I got were, “Live with it.” At that time, 2008-2009, there was limited technology, and overall my experience with audiologists and ENTs in Duval County was totally negative.

A year ago, I did research online to find which is the best clinic or who is the doctor that specializes in and understands tinnitus and hyperacusis. I found a couple of audiologists in Duval County and I met with a few of them. I found Dr. Mattson of Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center and saw that she specializes in hearing. At that time, I came and I met her. I truly am blessed to be here and to have her as an audiologist who can understand what I’m going through.

Out of all the audiologists and ENT doctors in Duval County, including the VA, she is the primary person I would like to recommend you come and get treatment from. She is the reason I chose this place.

Q: What caused your tinnitus and hyperacusis?

Sergeant: My first assignment in the military was infantry. In infantry, we are front line troops and use our auditory system to survive in combat. Our auditory system is being used not just 12 hours a day, but 24 hours a day. You may sleep, but your auditory system is working in the background to make sure you’re not getting attacked. This is the condition for 11 months in a combat zone. Your auditory system is used and abused and, if it doesn’t recover, there will be consequences. What happened to me by the end of deployment was that everything was loud to me. Everything was bright and then the ringing came. It would go on for 10-15 seconds and I couldn’t really figure out where it came from.

Dealing with tinnitus and hyperacusis can be incredibly challenging and frustrating, but you’re not alone. Please contact us so we can help you manage and treat these and other hearing-related conditions.  

Are you interested in learning more about Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, or our services, events or volunteer opportunities? Please reach out to us or call (904) 355-3403‎.

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ADULT SPEECH DISORDERS AND HEARING LOSS

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HOW ALLERGIES IMPACT HEARING

This article was updated on October 15, 2020.

RINGING IN YOUR EARS? WE HAVE ANSWERS ABOUT TINNITUS

Ringing in your ears? We have answers about Tinnitus

Tinnitus: What Causes the Ringing In Your Ears?

What causes noise or ringing in my ears?

tinnitus

Tinnitus can be caused by exposure to loud noise, medical illness or head and neck trauma.

If you’ve been hearing a ringing or other persistent sounds in your ears that don’t go away, you may have developed tinnitus. 

Read on for some important facts about this very common condition.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common condition that causes a noise heard in the head or ears. It affects people differently and can be described as low-pitched, high-pitched, constant, or intermittent. It can come across as ringing, roaring, buzzing, whistling, or humming. It can also be permanent or temporary.

Tinnitus can also be incredibly maddening for those living with it. Therefore, it is important to take preventative measures against tinnitus. If you already have it, there are ways to treat and lessen your symptoms.

People Most at Risk for Tinnitus

The people most at risk for tinnitus are: seniors, military personnel, musicians and people who work in loud environments.

What causes tinnitus?

There are several factors that can cause tinnitus, the leading being exposure to loud noise that you might hear at concerts, or gunfire. Other things that can trigger the condition are age-related hearing loss, some medications, and head and neck injuries. Stress and anxiety can even cause tinnitus.

How do you prevent tinnitus?

You can’t always prevent tinnitus, especially if it is caused by infection or stress. However, tinnitus caused by loud noises can be prevented by wearing proper hearing protection devices.

Is there a cure or treatment plan for tinnitus?

Unfortunately, there is not a cure for tinnitus, but there are treatment options.

One such treatment option is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. It is not a cure but rather a management program. This treatment works by helping to lessen the individual’s perception of the noise. Tinnitus retraining therapy can vary by provider, with success rates of about 80 percent.

Another treatment option involves treating the root cause of the tinnitus. When tinnitus is the result of hearing loss, many individuals find significant relief from it by simply treating the hearing loss with hearing aids.  

In addition to these options, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress-reducing habits have been known to help relieve tinnitus.  

What is sound therapy and how does it work?

Sound therapy is a treatment to help manage tinnitus symptoms. Sound therapy works by making the perception of the tinnitus less noticeable compared to background sound that is delivered through a sound therapy device. Most patients find the use of background sound very helpful when used in combination with Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.

The Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center has a Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) program to treat patients who suffer from tinnitus with trained and certified audiologists. Contact us to find out more.

Does tinnitus cause hearing loss?

Tinnitus doesn’t cause hearing loss. It is very common in people with hearing loss, however, not all people with hearing loss will develop tinnitus.

If you have further questions about speech or hearing disorders in children or adults, our audiologists, speech pathologists, services, events, or volunteer opportunities, please reach out to us online or call (904) 355-3403‎.

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This article was originally published on February 28, 2018, and has since been updated.