Huge numbers of British troops serving in Afghanistan are suffering from hearing damage. As many as half of the troops suffer from a permanent, high-pitched ringing called tinnitus while many more suffer from more serious hearing loss. Unless the British are anatomically different or have wildly different standards than their American counterparts, I presume the statistics are similarly high for all troops in Afghanistan.

“It’s a horrific consequence of being out there that nobody wants to talk about or admit. We’re all aware of the consequences — you’d have to leave the infantry,” said a Grenadier Guardsman. “I know so many guys are suffering in silence, they can’t locate where a noise is coming from around them. Everything sounds like a buzz.”

Hearing protection is provided but cannot be worn in many situations as they prevent soldiers from hearing useful sounds, such as incoming grenades. According to Patrick Mercer, a former Army officer and current Conservative MP, the military is reluctant to test hearing because so many soldiers would fail. “The hearing loss issue is worse for Afghanistan than Iraq, given the intensity of the fighting and the caliber of weapons.”

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