IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1683 

Recognizing the Department of Defense for its work in identifying the dangers 

of tinnitus, or the perception of sound where no external source of 

such sound exists, for members of the Armed Forces subjected to blast 

injuries and high-decibel equipment. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 

Mr. COLE (for himself, Mr. TEAGUE, Ms. FALLIN, and Mr. BOREN) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the Department of Defense for its work in identifying the dangers of tinnitus, or the perception of sound 

where no external source of such sound exists, for members of the Armed Forces subjected to blast injuries 

and high-decibel equipment. 

Whereas tinnitus, or the perception of sound where no external source of such sound exists, is the most prevalent disabling condition that affects members of the Armed 

Forces, most notably those members who have been exposed to blast injuries during combat or to other highnoise-level situations; 

Whereas tinnitus is the leading service-connected disability 

for members of the Armed Forces returning from Iraq or 


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•HRES 1683 IH 

Afghanistan and the prevalence of tinnitus is continuing 

to increase at alarming rates; 

Whereas at the end of 2009, more than 750,000 veterans had 

been determined to have a service-connected disability related to tinnitus; 

Whereas an otologic, or ear injury such as tinnitus, has been 

shown to decrease performance and situational awareness 

during combat, seriously compromising the ability of a 

member of the Armed Forces to hear and execute commands properly, thereby jeopardizing not only the affected member but other members as well; 

Whereas while certain types of sensory impairment in combat 

or other military activities may be readily apparent, 

otologic injuries such as tinnitus may not be easily noticeable, which necessitates the need for more rigorous 

screening for tinnitus before and after deployment, and 

for additional research to distinguish tinnitus from other 

forms of brain injury incurred during combat; 

Whereas some medical evidence to date suggests a demonstrated link between tinnitus and posttraumatic stress 

disorder and traumatic brain injury, such that improved 

understanding of treatment of tinnitus may also directly 

advance research efforts to address posttraumatic stress 

disorder and traumatic brain injury; 

Whereas improving the treatment and prevention of tinnitus 

will benefit all members of the Armed Forces who are increasingly at risk of injury from high-decibel equipment 

or explosive devices; 

Whereas even though there are recommended maximum allowable exposure times, cumulative noise exposure, even 

at ‘‘safe’’ levels, can cause tinnitus over time; 


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•HRES 1683 IH 

Whereas, in this age of amplified sound, many everyday noise 

sources produce decibel levels that can be hazardous to 

hearing and can result in tinnitus and other types of 

hearing loss; 

Whereas the Army is the only branch of the Armed Forces 

that requires earplugs as part of the uniform, but many 

types of military equipment exceed the 85 DBA limit; 

Whereas between all public and private funding in the United 

States, only $10,000,000 is given to tinnitus research, far 

behind what is spent on research for most other medical 

conditions; and 

Whereas new, sophisticated brain-imaging technologies have 

allowed scientists to identify the areas of the brain that 

involve tinnitus and have led scientists to study tinnitus 

on several new fronts: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the Department of Defense for 

3 its work in identifying the dangers of tinnitus; 

4 (2) encourages the Department of Defense to 

5 continue to educate members of the Armed Forces 

6 of the potential threats of unprotected exposure to 

7 high-decibel sounds; and 

8 (3) encourages both the Department of Defense 

9 and public institutions to continue their important 

10 work researching this medical condition. 

Æ 


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