ponto
March 8th, 2008, 11:43 AM
Hearing damage is the No. 1 disability in the fight against terror, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and some experts say the true toll could take decades to become clear.
Nearly 70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing loss, the VA said.
The number of servicemen and servicewomen on disability because of hearing damage is expected to grow 18 percent a year, with payments totaling $1.1 billion annually by 2011.
Anyone with at least a 10 percent loss in hearing qualifies for disability.
From World War II and well through Vietnam, hearing damage has been a leading disability.
Despite everything that has been learned over the years, U.S. troops are suffering hearing damage at about the same rate as World War II vets, according to VA figures.
On a local level, Ponto is one of those Vietnam vets that came back to Kentucky with less hearing than I left with. That probably explains why I posted this story.........lol . . What??
Source (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/08/health/main3919311.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3919311)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/08/health/main3919311.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3919311
Nearly 70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing loss, the VA said.
The number of servicemen and servicewomen on disability because of hearing damage is expected to grow 18 percent a year, with payments totaling $1.1 billion annually by 2011.
Anyone with at least a 10 percent loss in hearing qualifies for disability.
From World War II and well through Vietnam, hearing damage has been a leading disability.
Despite everything that has been learned over the years, U.S. troops are suffering hearing damage at about the same rate as World War II vets, according to VA figures.
On a local level, Ponto is one of those Vietnam vets that came back to Kentucky with less hearing than I left with. That probably explains why I posted this story.........lol . . What??
Source (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/08/health/main3919311.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3919311)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/08/health/main3919311.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3919311