August 29, 2012
The repetitive stutter of a machine gun, shocking boom of mortars, the deafening drone of helicopter rotors; the sounds of war are hard to ignore and can leave many Veterans with permanent hearing damage.
Tinnitus is the number one disability among Veterans and it affects at least one in every 10 American adults.
It is because of this statistic that the VA is conducting a telephone based education project for Veterans (and active duty) suffering from tinnitus (both with and without TBI).
This is research and not treatment. The help will be offered by tinnitus specialists who provide advice over the phone. The advice may help you to make changes in your life that will make the tinnitus less of a problem.
There will be four phone calls over about 1 month to sign up for the study, then about seven calls over 6 months to receive the telephone advice.
At the start of the study, and four more times over 1 year, participants will complete questionnaires and return them by mail.
It costs nothing to participate. You will be paid $10 for each set of questionnaires you complete (up to 5 sets for a total of $50). You may benefit from the study if your tinnitus becomes less of a problem for you.
1-800-949-1004 ext. 51936
National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Medical Center, Portland, OR. 97207