The very real problems of noise induced hearing loss challenging British armed forces serving in Afghanistan has been raised previously, yet it seems growing numbers of serviceman are still leaving the army in 2011 suffering with hearing loss caused by combat conditions.

In 2010, a survey discovered that over two thirds of army soldiers had returned to the UK with severe and permanent hearing damage inflicted from excessive noise levels encountered during “close-combat fighting, roadside devices and low-flying allied aircraft”.

This followed on from documented defence reports from 2008 that nearly 70 per cent of 1,250 Royal Commandos who had taken audiometric testing had revealed evidence of noise induced hearing loss, and over 400 categorised as of industrial deafness severity.

It has been reported that not only is the sound of exploding bombs and bullets firing during combat still causing a hearing issue, the firing of live ammunition during training exercises in preparation for fighting on the front line are adding to the problem.

As a result, the Army has launched a campaign to warn all fighting personnel of the effects of weapons firing as well as from helicopters, tanks and other machinery. Earplugs and ear defenders have also been issued with commanding officers ordered to ensure troops are protected from the excessive noise levels generated from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other types of weapons and gunfire.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) there have been more than 34 medical discharges from the Army for hearing loss since 2006 and in 2010/11 there were 14 discharges for noise-induced hearing loss, double the number recorded in 2007/08.

While one in 10 army recruits had previously experienced a significant degree of hearing loss following their tour of duty, and considered as being directly caused by “noise or blast”, by comparison, figures also show that the Navy had fewer than five medical discharges for hearing loss or noise-induced hearing loss since 2006, and the RAF reported “less than” five medical discharges for hearing loss and none at all for noise-induced hearing loss.

While during training, soldiers are only issued with standard hearing plugs, troops on active duty in Afghanistan are now supplied with “Personal Integrated Hearing Protection”. The new system comprises custom-moulded ear plugs incorporated with a radio, inset, designed to help block out background noise, which still enables the wearer to hear normal speech.