Hearing loss from shooting? Try skiing.

[Iain]

A former soldier who lost his hearing 15 years ago has suddenly regained it on a ski lift in the Italian Dolomites.

Derek Glover, 72, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, was 7,000ft up on holiday with his daughter when he heard a loud pop and his hearing returned.

Mr Glover's hearing was first damaged while on National Service 50 years ago and gradually worsened until he had to have a hearing aid fitted 15 years ago.

Doctors have so far been unable to explain what happened.

'Believe in miracles'

Mr Glover said: "I'd been skiing all morning and we'd decided we'd had enough so we were coming down in the cable car with my daughter and son-in-law.

"All of a sudden my ears went pop and their voices were dead clear, it was unbelievable.

"The doctors can't explain anything and he's starting to believe in miracles I think."

Mr Glover put his poor hearing down to firing rounds on the army shooting range when he was a soldier on National Service.

But he added that the army had also taught him to ski which was a very fortunate thing.

David Reid, of Deafness Research UK, said: "Regaining your hearing because of a change in altitude is very unusual - and the NHS aren't going to be prescribing holidays to the Alps anytime soon!"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4665494.stm

[bermbuster]

I have some hearing loss in my left ear from an auto accident years ago. Sometimes at altitude my ear *pops* and sounds are clearer and louder.  After a while things go back to the way they were.  I hope the guy's ears stay open or whatever happened.  Maybe they will figure it out and others can benefit from it.

[Waitone]

Pressure equalization??

[BillBlank]

Kind of, there's lots of little bones in the ear that get stuck and the pressure change pops them back into place for a while, then in most cases they get stuck again and your hearing loss comes back.