Just wondering if anyone has filed a claim with the VA because of this condition. A lot of us EN's & possibly MK's have worked in enginerooms for hours at a time without proper ear protection. My first cruise on the Glacier was like that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
antarctic traveler - If you learn anything please post it here for all of us half deaf Engineers. I am working with Medicle now to get my case officially diagnosed, had ringing in the ears for more than 10 years. So dealing with the VA isnt that far down the road. good luck
Originally posted by antarctic_traveler: Just wondering if anyone has filed a claim with the VA because of this condition. A lot of us EN's & possibly MK's have worked in enginerooms for hours at a time without proper ear protection. My first cruise on the Glacier was like that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hopefully you have something in your service medical record, indicating a problem while you were on Active Duty.
You may still be able to build a case without it, but it would make it easier. I think Tinnitus is going to be disappearing as service connected for a lot of people, with all the regs concerning use of ear protection they can easily start making cases that it was the members actions that caused the problem, not the service.
Originally posted by antarctic_traveler: Just wondering if anyone has filed a claim with the VA because of this condition. A lot of us EN's & possibly MK's have worked in enginerooms for hours at a time without proper ear protection. My first cruise on the Glacier was like that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I was approved for this condition last year after my CP exam was completed through the VA. This is also a condition that wont get any better through time, but can be treated to lessen the problems with sleep. I was approved, but was given 0% with VA treatment. Thats how I read the fine print.
EMC_ You may be correct about it being up to me to be prudent regarding ear protection. If you remember in the mid to late 60's OSHA reg's were just beginning to be used in the Coast Guard. I was a green kid E-4, you know we had NO authority and relied extensively to E-6 and above for training. Only on our 2nd trip South and a rotation of half the engineering staff did a Chief come on board to require the hearing protection be worn. It was a life saver and it improved diagnosis of engine noises since the loud roar of the engines was vertually eliminated. I do hope the 10% amount mentioned above is low---we who live with the condition, do so 100% of the time.
I wasn't think of your case with those comments. They were more directed at those who are coming up on 20 years and retiremeny now. I joined in the late 70's and spent 2 years in a Lighthouse with a fog horn in the tower. We didn't use hearing protection outside of the generator room, but learned years later that we should have worn hearing protection any time the fog horn was in operation.
I am rated the max 10% for tinnitus. My ears having been ringing so long, I thought it was normal, and didn't find out about tinnitus until I was getting rated for hearing loss at a VA exam.
I got diagnosed a few years before I retired. I was taking the inital hearing exam., While I was taking the test holding the button. I was not pressing the button because my ringing was drowning out the test freq's. Mike
I'm not in the Coast Guard (but hopefully here soon I will be) but my dad was in for 23 years and he got out with 10%. I asked him and he said he also thinks this is the most. He also went onto to saw how bad it is....I don't know how you all deal with constant ringing in the ears.
Right now my ears sound like the bells of St. Marys. Spend some time on a lighthouse and your hearing goes kaput. There is a class action suit underway by many old lighthouse keepers for hearing problems.
They told me I had high pitch deafness when I got out in 1973. They also said they'd put me on a medical hold and keep me from getting out. I believed them and signed a waiver. Stupid me.
I was a BM and have it as well. The max is ten percent. But the thing is you can expect for them to pay for hearing aides when you need them. Even if you are rated at 0%. You just need that rating.
I know people with 10% compensatory and with 10% non-compensatory, all have hearing loss and as far as I know all have tinitus. Anybody got an idea how they decide who gets compensatory and who doesn't?
