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- Points
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Hearing loss and tinnitus are two different and distinct conditions.
Tinnitus is the ringing in your ears (or other like symptoms). A masking device is to assist in "hiding" the tinnitus, so it has less of an effect on your activities of daily living.
Tinnitus may be present with or without what's called pensionable hearing loss.
Example: you experience ringing in your ears due to exposure to gunfire/artillery/jet engines etc., while you weren't wearing hearing protection. The ringing never goes away, etc.
However, the noise exposure was not enough to decrease your ability to hear to such a point you meet the VAC Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines for hearing loss.
So, a masking device helps with hiding the tinnitus. A hearing aid helps with hearing loss. Two different things. You may have hearing loss, but not sufficient to warrant a prescription for a hearing aid; you may have tinnitus, and have been prescribed a masking device.
Occam, exact advice. It's in thunderbolt's best interest to request a Departmental Review. Don't burn your Review and Appeal levels with VRAB until you have exhausted the Department's levels of review/appeal.
Tinnitus is the ringing in your ears (or other like symptoms). A masking device is to assist in "hiding" the tinnitus, so it has less of an effect on your activities of daily living.
Tinnitus may be present with or without what's called pensionable hearing loss.
Example: you experience ringing in your ears due to exposure to gunfire/artillery/jet engines etc., while you weren't wearing hearing protection. The ringing never goes away, etc.
However, the noise exposure was not enough to decrease your ability to hear to such a point you meet the VAC Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines for hearing loss.
So, a masking device helps with hiding the tinnitus. A hearing aid helps with hearing loss. Two different things. You may have hearing loss, but not sufficient to warrant a prescription for a hearing aid; you may have tinnitus, and have been prescribed a masking device.
Occam, exact advice. It's in thunderbolt's best interest to request a Departmental Review. Don't burn your Review and Appeal levels with VRAB until you have exhausted the Department's levels of review/appeal.