I brought my hearing difficulty to the examiner's attention when I was having my discharge physical. When I went to the VA a couple of years after I got out I was informed that there was no record of any problem. Interesting in light of the fact that my left eardrum tore during a firing exercise on my ship, with cotton for hearing protection, and the corpsman told me it wasn't a big deal and it would heal with minimal treatment. It did heal, you can see the scar with an otoscope, but I have never heard properly in either ear since then and the left ear is really bad. But there is no record of my having the injury, much less my statement to the corpsman conducting my exit physical.b322da wrote:I might take your point a little further for the benefit of currently active duty military, Tracy, or, in some cases, those recently discharged.SewTexas wrote:my dad got some through the VA, he was on Subs for years and the engine noise is blamed for alot of his hearing loss. they've made such a difference! he was pretty young we he got them too.
Those of you who were in the military, check with your VA rep, you might be able to get them through the VA. My FIL could have (planes, I think), but he wouldn't admit he needed them.
The physical examination one has in connection with separation from active duty is extremely important -- every little physical problem you have, regardless of how serious it is at the time, should be brought to the attention of your medical examiner. You are looking for having service-connected disabilities rated at the time of separation, and something which seems unimportant may become very important as you age. You may be rated for disabilities even though your overall rating is 0%.
If one is rated as having a service-connected hearing loss he should have no difficulty being provided with hearing aids by the VA. Years ago I knew a CHL instructor who had such a rating, and whose hearing loss worsened as he grew older. When the VA learned of his being a CHL instructor exposed to repetitive sounds of gunshots they provided him, with no hassle, with expensive hearing aids which shut down at the first hint of an explosive sound, as do the better shooting ear muffs.
And never forget that while your military service may not rate you for some perhaps minor physical problem you can always appeal to the VA.
Take it from one who knows through sad experience that even the slightest change in some physical ability should be noted at separation. The passage of time limits your ability to appeal a negative determination to the VA. If you are a member of a veterans organization like the Americn Legion or the VFW they can be of great assistance with such an appeal.
Jim
VA turned me down after a hearing test in which they told me that my hearing loss was "within normal range" for a 25 year old man. The big reason that I went to see them was that it had become more noticeable in my job, as a telephone technician getting specialty training in evaluating telephone lines through the use of multiple tones, some of which I could not hear. I fought with VA for a year or so and then gave up.
The City of Plano TX turned me down for a job a few years ago, as a 911 dispatcher, because I failed their hearing test. This triggered another visit to the VA (after 30+ years) where they never even examined me because I was denied VA benefits due to my income being too high.
So right now I just live with not being able to hear very well and say "What, I didn't hear you?" a lot.
