66 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM
HEALTH & WELLNESS
At the Intersection of Hearing and Mental Health
Potential Links Between Hearing Loss & PTSD Make the Case for Greater Healthcare Coordination
By Brian Taylor
W
hen people think of hearing loss, many think of being unable to hear. Period. Thats understandable. A literal loss of hearing - the onset of silence - can have dramatic ramifications for a person's life. But other forms of hearing loss, characterized by difficulty hearing, can have equal impact. And were learning, especially in the case of military veterans, that it can have a related effect on their mental health. Two of the most prominent conditions affecting veterans are noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While prevalent in the general public, each is a uniquely common health problem for veterans based on the important jobs theyre asked to perform. Also common is tinnitus, that ringing in the ears that afflicts about 10 percent of Americans but disproportionally affects veterans. The combination of the three presents a possible long-term health concern that requires coordination among disparate specialties to handle effectively. According to a recent study of injured military personnel, hearing loss and PTSD may be linked. The studys authors found that the odds of PTSD are approximately three times higher in individuals with postinjury bilateral hearing loss [hearing loss in both ears] when compared to personnel without hearing loss. The reason, at least in part, is that hearing loss - even partial - can affect a veterans ability to listen and communicate, which decreases their quality of life and exacerbates mental health conditions, such as PTSD.
The Case for Coordination
As an audiologist, Ive seen the mental health effects of hearing loss firsthand. Again, a person doesnt have to experience total hearing loss to suffer. NIHL, in particular, affects communication because it impacts sound frequencies that are common in speech. NIHL makes hearing voices more challenging, especially in spaces where ambient sound competes to be heard. As a result, those affected strain to hear, which often leads to fatigue and difficulty concentrating, or they may withdraw from social situations, adversely affecting their mental health. In the case of tinnitus, the studys authors found that because it often co-occurs with NIHL, it may also be associated with higher rates of PTSD. In some cases, tinnitus may impact traumatic flashbacks. Sounds triggering exacerbation of tinnitus similarly affected PTSD symptom severity, they wrote. Tinnitus is not hearing loss, but research has indicated it can be a sign of hearing loss to come. Therefore, like hearing loss, tinnitus requires early identification and treatment. In fact, veterans and their healthcare providers need to be on the lookout early for all interrelated signs of NIHL, tinnitus and PTSD. Delay could have a serious impact on quality of life. There also should be fresh coordination between audiologists and mental health professionals. In short: veterans with bilateral hearing loss need to be monitored for PTSD.
Better Hearing in Noise
On the audiology side, technology now exists that can dramatically improve a veterans ability to hear and communicate in various settings, addressing one of the subtler effects of NIHL on mental health. Signia recently created a platform called Augmented Xperience that
PHOTOS: SIGNIA
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