Hearing (Merged) Including Hearing Tests and Hearing Categories

[westie47]

So I am 55 dB in the 4000 Hz range. The above link says I am H4 if I am 50 dB or higher in the 3000 Hz  range. I wonder what the difference is.

 

[medicineman]

What Kirsten said.

MM

 

[tech2002]

It will probably depend on your rank also. I know lots of WOs & higher with hearing aids, in the combat arms.

is hearing aid allowed in CF and serving in combat ?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

is hearing aid allowed in CF and serving in combat ?

I'm not quite sure how to make it any clearer than what I said already. Of course, I'm sure it would depend on the type and extent of loss.

OK, just for s&g, I'll say it again. Lots of people in the combat arms wear hearing aids. In the field, I quite often remove mine. Normally, making for a very blissful outing

 

[bradlupa]

I am just wondering if anyone as told that they failed the hearing test.  The reason I ask is today at my medical, i was told i was unfit due to hearing loss and that i needed to be assessed by a hearing clinic to confirm there diagnosis.  Well i went to the hearing clinic and i was told that i DID NOT have any hearing loss rather i have better hearing then most people. 

Now i know that there are factors that affected my test during the medical, the room i was in was next to another room with lots of low noise.  Second the earphones did not fit proper and third there was a exhaust fan above me that was running.

Seems kind of odd that they would do the test in such a noisey enviroment, then tell me that my hearing makes me unfit, when really it is better then normal.  Makes me wonder what else is inaccurate

 

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

Did you discuss that with your RC, if not then I would, then you could probably retake the test.

 

[bradlupa]

I was told i was unfit due to hearing loss and that i needed to be assessed by a hearing clinic to confirm there diagnosis. 

I called the SGT today and told him about the retest at a hearing clinic and he said that it is quite common to have good hearing but fail there test, and that as long as the audiogram is signed by a doctor then i'm fit (yay).

This seems a little odd that if it is common, then you think that they would find a better place to do it rather than just say that you are unfit and be tested at a hearing clinic, as it cost me an extra $100 for the test and $85 for the doctors signature, to state that i have no hearing loss.

Just seems that they could have taken better steps to ensure there test is accurate.

Never the less i am now fit

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I called the SGT today and told him about the retest at a hearing clinic and he said that it is quite common to have good hearing but fail there test, and that as long as the audiogram is signed by a doctor then i'm fit (yay).

This seems a little odd that if it is common, then you think that they would find a better place to do it rather than just say that you are unfit and be tested at a hearing clinic, as it cost me an extra $100 for the test and $85 for the doctors signature, to state that i have no hearing loss.

Just seems that they could have taken better steps to ensure there test is accurate.

Never the less i am now fit

Well, pass your observations on in a nice way to the CFRC.  Providing feedback might help others that follow.

The System works, but like all systems, its not perfect.

As for your $185, I can't help but think of others that have sacrified in ways I can't fathom for Canada and the free world.  Take a look at the link below, and if you *really* still feel like your $185 is a sacrifice worth moaning about, PM me your address and I will send you a cheque to cover it.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/fallen-disparus/index-eng.asp

RIP to all of our fallen.

 

[Occam]

As for your $185, I can't help but think of others that have sacrified in ways I can't fathom for Canada and the free world.  Take a look at the link below, and if you *really* still feel like your $185 is a sacrifice worth moaning about, PM me your address and I will send you a cheque to cover it.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/fallen-disparus/index-eng.asp

RIP to all of our fallen.

Huh?  That started out as a helpful post...

What do our fallen have to do with the fact that he's out of pocket for an accurate hearing test that the CF recruiting system should have done correctly the first time 'round?

I guess nothing is ever done incorrectly or unjustly in the CF; therefore we can do away with that pesky grievance system.  Sound okay?

If his hearing was fine, and the first test they gave him was erroneous, then surely to gawd $185 is not going to break DND's budget.

 

[TimBit]

Huh?  That started out as a helpful post...

What do our fallen have to do with the fact that he's out of pocket for an accurate hearing test that the CF recruiting system should have done correctly the first time 'round?

I guess nothing is ever done incorrectly or unjustly in the CF; therefore we can do away with that pesky grievance system.  Sound okay?

If his hearing was fine, and the first test they gave him was erroneous, then surely to gawd $185 is not going to break DND's budget.

I agree! Otherwise to keep that logic, why not pay for our moves? And hey, let ranks be a simple matter of authority, not pay. MWO, same pay as a private: it is a matter of honour, pride and duty. See where that line of arguing leads to?

I'm not sure you'll be able to claim your 185, bradlupa, but I certainly commend you on paying that out of pocket to prove you could serve. Now if that is not desire to serve, what is? And yes, not to blame the CFRC, but we should ensure that any test we run to clear candidates is well run and reflect that candidate's abilities, traits, etc... Mistakes happen, yes, but we should strive to fix them.

 

[bradlupa]

I'm not saying that i want my money back or that fallen soldier don't deserve respect.  What i am saying is how many people have had to redo hearing tests because of improper testing room selection.

I'm joining the military to serve my country and if needed give my life for the people of Canada. 

But with out a family physcian i had to pay for the consult at a walk in clinic.

 

[Monsoon]

But with out a family physcian i had to pay for the consult at a walk in clinic.

Sounds like a reimbursable expense. If the CFRC won't let you submit a claim with the receipts, keep them until you're enrolled and submit them at your first unit.

 

[BradCon]

It's a little different but I had to pay 80$ to get my eyes professionally ok'd.
I think it is more common than we know, a previous poster mentioned that it's not  a perfect system,  I'd ride with that.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .
Now i know that there are factors that affected my test during the medical, the room i was in was next to another room with lots of low noise.  Second the earphones did not fit proper and third there was a exhaust fan above me that was running.

Seems kind of odd that they would do the test in such a noisey enviroment, then tell me that my hearing makes me unfit, when really it is better then normal.  Makes me wonder what else is inaccurate

Every time that I read one of these tales of audiograms being given under less than ideal conditions, I am reminded of the first audiogram I had in the CF, a few decades ago.  For some reason back then, one was not done as part of the recruiting medical, so we had it done at Cornwallis.  As part of the in-routine at the BHosp (shots, glasses, etc) an audiogram was done.  When I went into the room for the test, it was probably (as I would later learn on my Med A course) a textbook case of how not to perform an audiogram; there was definitely no attempt at soundproofing, there was a large fan running trying to keep the room cool on a hot summer day and outside under the open window that I sat next to was a Sea Cadet band practicing.  Despite all that, I still managed an 'H1' without any difficulty.

i was told . . . i needed to be assessed by a hearing clinic to confirm there diagnosis.  Well i went to the hearing clinic and i was told that i DID NOT have any hearing loss rather i have better hearing then most people.

The audiogram done during a recruiting medical (like all parts of it) is a "screening" procedure, not a "diagnostic" tool.  Most people have no difficulty with it, despite sometimes (often?) less than ideal testing conditions.  However from experience in doing recruit audiograms under very good conditions (special booth/audiometer) sometimes individuals, even those with no perceptible hearing loss, will "fail" the test because they think about it too much (or not enough) and start hearing nonexistent sounds or try to second guess the machine (maybe attempting to get a better score).  As well, from similar experience under less than ideal conditions the number of "false fails" were not so many as to warrant the considerable extra expense to ensure "perfect" conditions all the time, at all the testing locations.

In your case you "failed".  But wait, you were also informed to have this confirmed at a "hearing clinic" where there would be a hearing specialist (audiologist), more sensitive equipment and better conditions.  While you may be less than happy with the extra steps you need to take to join, I don't see anything really outside the norm.  The same would apply if there were negative findings from another part of the enrolment medical. There are many posts on this means from individuals whose urinalysis at the medical detected something, but was within acceptable limits when done later for a civilian physician; much more common than your 'improperly conducted' hearing test.

But with out a family physcian i had to pay for the consult at a walk in clinic.

And by the way, even if you had a family physician you still (most likely) would have been required to pay as the service the physician provided was for employment purposes and thus not covered by provincial health insurance.  When you hear of instances where a physician does not charge directly for such services, they are either doing it for free (very, very rare) or they are fraudulently billing the insuring province (also rare).

 

[RubberTree]

Correct me if I'm wrong...
doesn't PMed come in annually to check the audiogram machine to ensure its accuracy? All the machines that I have seen look about 20 years old, I'm sure they require service/zeroing at regular intervals.

 

[PMedMoe]

Correct me if I'm wrong...
doesn't PMed come in annually to check the audiogram machine to ensure its accuracy? All the machines that I have seen look about 20 years old, I'm sure they require service/zeroing at regular intervals.

That would be BMET (Biomedical Electronics Tech) not PMed (Preventive Medicine Tech).  I don't know how often the audiogram machines get calibrated but there must be a schedule.

 

[ArmyGuy99]

Once a year the Tech's come around and calibrate/check/verify all of our equipment which has been issued to the Unit.  At our centre we get a new Audiometer every year. 

 

[festealth]

My apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but I feel that it will be pointless to start a new one.

Thanks to all the above posts, the hearing aspect of the medical exam has got me stressed out for the last little while.
I, unfortunately, do not have perfect hearing, but the only sounds I'm unable to hear are those very high frequency ones.  Much like a dog whistle... but not that high.
For regular talking, schools, and everyday actitivies, I can hear everything no problem (of course, my hearing has always been bad, so I dunno what "perfect" hearing actually is)..... I'm just wondering, there is any lee-way or wiggle room in case I don't meet the standards?  Along the lines of, "I'm willing to give 110% to make up any disadvantage I might have, sir!"

Btw, I am trying to join an artillery unit.... so you can say I already have a head start for those "artillery ears" 8)

 

[aesop081]

  Along the lines of, "I'm willing to give 110% to make up any disadvantage I might have, sir!"

We would end up getting that line from every single applicant with a problem. We then might as well not have any standards at all. You either meet the standards or you dont, simple as that.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

If you have hearing aids you will be found medically unfit, but IIRC if you are already in then, accomodations will be made if you need hearing aids as a result of hearing loss due to your service.