50 Years of Ringing in Both Ears

i went to Vietnam as a healthy young man with good hearing and no tinnitus. After 12 months serving in an artillery battery that fired missions 24/7, i came back with both hearing loss and ringing in my ears and the ringing has only gotten louder over the years. The Army had no hearing prevention program in Vietnam, so we were exposed to continuous loud noises with no hearing protection. We would stuff cotton in our ears, but it did little to help. My tinnitus is so loud now that it keeps me awake at night.

 

What's sad is that the VA is completely useless when it comes to veterans. I mean think about it, these people put their lives on the line and what do they get when they come back home? Mountains of red tape. I would think that if someone willingly signs up for the military, then the other end of the bargain should be complete care.

 

I can imagine there are thousands of servicemen with hearing loss who served in all wars. When you look back especially the First World War when they fired those big guns not only did they suffer hearing problems but also shell shock. It seems servicemen of past and present are poorly let down by there country and that's a shame. If it wasn't for them where would we be now?

 

Hi Harry,
Well done it your job and a shame you had no ear protection.
I have sever cronic tinnitus and find sleep hard also.
I was on sleeping tablets and now on nortryptaline.20mg did nothing 30mg did nothing and last night 50mg gave me 5 hours of sleep and OMG I really needed it....lots of love glynis

 

Hello Mr. Ackroyd,

Welcome to the site and thank you for your service!

Have you tried using hearing aids to help mask the ringing?

I recall reading that tinnitus is one of the most common issues returning servicemen and women face following military service. If you include all of those who served in wars dating back to WW2, there is a large number of folks who have suffered hearing loss and or tinnitus as a result.

 

The veterans returning with tinnitus should stage a protest over Congress for their neglect to fund tinnitus research. Apparently, William Shatner who was spokesman for ATA told David Letterman who also has had T that when he lobbied Congress for funding in T research, the congressmen were say 'What are you saying? Can't hear you!', lol. Now he was of course making it sound funny in a comedy show, but it illustrates the frustration that Congress was not putting any priority in funding T research for help out the suffering veteran. They should send some of these tax-wasting politicians to the front line to expose them to the sounds of war and let them experience terrible T to get them to see the need to help out the suffering veterans. Pathetic!!! Anyway, one positive note of your story is that despite T all these long years, you prove you can survive it and still function. You are not only a veteran of war, but a veteran of battling tinnitus. You are a hero of tinnitus survival. Tinnitus is not an end game, though quite irritable sometimes. Here is Shatner's complaint about the indifferent Congress towards funding for tinnitus research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCdx8aueK9I

 

Poor vietmans citizens,Poor millions of innocent Vietnamese killed by the bombs and chemical weapons of US governments. A genocide was a people who did not hurt the American people. I do not understand how someone with culture or empathy can say it was good service. It was a service like the nazis

 

Your post should have been deleted and if it was up to me I would have banned you for attacking someone coming to this forum looking for sympathy and help. Shame on you and anyone who liked your post.

 

I regret that any person suffers from any illness, but I am even more sorry that people kill innocent children and women and that they are proud to participate in it proudly and publicly. If someone in a forum has the right to publicize their participation in genocidal and terrorist acts, such as the invasion of Vietnam, I have the right to give my opinion. Every day, $ 5 billion is spent on military expenditures. Imagine what would be the health of all human beings if that money invested in blood were invested in health and well-being. If there are people who think that they can proudly say their participation in genocide in a health forum, I will say that those acts seem terrible to me. And I hope that all human beings will regain health. And I'm not embarrassed to criticize the war. It's terrible for innocent people and a business for power. A message of love for the Vietnamese people.

 

You made a point. But I don't think Harry said he's proud of the Vietnam War. He just tried to explain how he got T.