Nigeria at 65- A Compromised Hearing In Defense Of Liberty- by Promise Ebuka S ometimes last year I met a young man who is a captain in the Nigeria army and had just returned back from Borno state where they were for months battling insurgence against the Nigeria government. He was referred to my office for audiological evaluation after complaints of loss of hearing and tinnitus in both ears. Tinnitus is a persistent sound in one or both ears. The sound does not come from an external source and is perceived only by the person hearing it and it’s often experienced as a high-pitched hiss, ring, or buzz. After several batteries of test, I was able to confirm he has moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears which was also accompanied by tinnitus. Obviously he would have to l iv e the rest of his life wearing a hearing aid. He felt so bad about the news, though I counseled him and encouraged him that with hearing aids he could still enjoy the good sound of life. T