AuDNet Pushes for Professional Hearing Tests for All Troops Returning from the Middle East.

Hearing issues are the leading disabilities troops will face as they return home. Proper diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus and hearing loss can mitigate financial and emotional consequences.

Burnsville, MN (PRWEB) January 05, 2013

With the re-election of President Obama last November, the measured drawdown of troops from the Middle East will almost certainly continue as planned. The President has pledged to transition U.S. Forces in Afghanistan from their current combat role into a support role by the end of 2014.

According to the Hearing Health Foundation, more than 60 percent of soldiers could return with some type of hearing loss. The Department of Veterans Affairs cites tinnitus and hearing loss as the leading disabilities reported by returning veterans, followed by PTSD. Tinnitus is a high-pitched ringing or other sound in the ears that others cannot hear.

In a November 13, 2012, interview with NBC News, Brett Buchanan, a VA-accredited claims agent with Allsup, a national provider of services with disabilities, commented, "I suspect today's generation of veterans – those who have been in a combat environment – probably have a higher severity of hearing loss (than past generations), especially with the explosions and the IEDs and the ruptured ear drums they've sustained.”

In December 2012, Mike Tianen, industrial hygienist aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, was quoted by MCLB Barstow that nearly half of all Marines suffer from some type of hearing loss as they transition to civilian life.

Hearing loss can make the transition from military to civilian lifestyle more difficult for veterans. A 2010 study by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) found people with severe hearing loss have unemployment rates double that of the normal-hearing population. Additionally, untreated hearing loss can negatively affect household income up to $30,000 per year.

“Troops returning to their families and work places must be informed of their higher risk for hearing loss and the action plan for mitigating any damage,” said David Smriga, founder and president of NOWiHEAR. “With proper diagnosis and treatment by a certified audiologist, the negative effects on both employment and an individual's emotional health from hearing loss can be highly contained.”

In the BHI study, hearing aids helped reduce the impact of income loss by 90-100% for those with mild hearing loss and by 65-77% for those suffering from moderate to severe damage to hearing.

NOWiHEAR Audiologists have extensive training in the causes of tinnitus and other hearing impairments, and they can offer effective treatments for constantly ringing ears or refer as necessary.

About AuDNet, Inc.

AuDNet, Inc. is a national network of licensed audiologists and Doctors of Audiology who are "The Hearing Experts." Network members are an elite group of highly trained, educated, licensed, and experienced professionals specializing in audiology care and rehabilitation, including hearing aids. AuDNet, Inc. offers consumer education through its user-friendly website: http://www.NowiHear.com. To learn more about AuDNet visit http://www.aud-net.com or call 1-800-308-7290.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10236181.htm