Ringing in your ears since the rocket fell?
Why the first six months decide

Weeks after the rocket fell, the noise is behind you, but a ringing has stayed in your ear. Sometimes it is loud at night, sometimes it disappears for a day and then comes back. Many people treat it as “one more thing that will pass”, or put it down to age. That is natural, but it can be costly: with hearing injuries, time plays a central role — both medically and in terms of your rights.

Why an explosion damages hearing

An explosion is not just “a loud noise”. Besides the volume, it carries a blast wave — a sharp change in air pressure that damages the delicate structures of the inner ear. Studies in Israel and around the world show that blast injury tends to be broader than ordinary noise damage: it affects a wide range of sounds, and sometimes both ears.

The common signs:

• Tinnitus: ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ear, with no outside source.
• Hearing loss: difficulty following a conversation with background noise, a feeling that “everyone is mumbling”, turning the TV up.
• A blocked-ear feeling, sensitivity to noise, and sometimes dizziness or unsteadiness.

Worth knowing: some injuries are not felt right away. People who feel “fine” the day after may discover the damage only several weeks later.

What to do now: three steps

1. See an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor as early as possible

Experience gathered during the war shows that treatment of a hearing injury is especially effective in the first days after exposure. Even if time has passed, it is still worth being examined: the documentation itself matters.

2. Have a full hearing test

A hearing test (audiometry) carried out in a soundproof booth by an audiologist is the test the medical committee relies on. Sometimes the doctor will also refer you for further tests, such as tympanometry, OAE or BERA, which document the damage objectively.

3. Make sure the event is written in the records

At every visit, tell the doctor when and where the ringing started, and make sure it is recorded: “began after a rocket fell in …”. A record like this, made close to the event, is one of the most important pieces of evidence in the file.

Why the first six months matter so much

Under the disability tests used by the medical committees for hostile-action casualties, tinnitus is recognised only if it began no more than six months after the injury. The National Insurance Institute’s guidance for doctors also states that hearing loss appearing more than six months after the event is not attributed to it.

Put simply: if the ringing started after the rocket fell but no doctor documented it in the first months, it will be much harder to prove the link later on.

How disability percentages are set for hearing and tinnitus

For hostile-action casualties, the percentages are set according to the special list of impairments for hostile-action casualties. It differs on several points from the list for work-injury casualties, so information that fits work accidents is not always correct here.

When there are several injuries, the percentages are weighted rather than simply added together. A disability of 10%–19% qualifies for a one-time grant, and 20% or more for a monthly payment. Someone who has also been recognised for a psychological injury, such as anxiety or PTSD, can receive percentages for both injuries together (how disability percentages are set).

The claim with the National Insurance Institute: two stages

Stage one: recognition as a hostile-action casualty. A claim for recognition (form בל/580 (BL/580)) is filed within a year of the injury, with the medical documentation and confirmation of the event. It is important to list all the injuries in the claim, including the ears: the medical committee only considers injuries that have been recognised.

Stage two: setting the disability percentage. After recognition, you file a claim to set the degree of disability (form בל/581 (BL/581)) and are invited to a medical committee (how to prepare for a medical committee). A monthly payment is paid retroactively for up to 12 months before the claim was filed, and a grant for up to 18 months, so it is not worth putting it off.

Disagree with the decision? You can file an appeal within 60 days (appealing a National Insurance decision). And if your condition gets worse over time, you can ask for a re-examination after six months (deterioration in your condition).

A broad overview of the rights on this route: hostile-action casualties — an overview of rights.

Seven mistakes that hurt the claim

1. Waiting for it “to pass”. Months without medical documentation are the common reason it becomes hard to prove a link to the event.
2. Not listing the ears in the recognition claim. What has not been recognised is not examined by the committee.
3. Describing the ringing as “sometimes”. Tinnitus that is not constant gives just one percent. Describe it accurately and consistently, as it really is.
4. “It is probably age.” The committee deducts a previous condition. Old hearing tests showing normal hearing before the event can make the difference.
5. Relying on work-accident information. The rules for hostile-action casualties are different.
6. Missing deadlines: a year to file the recognition claim, 60 days to appeal.
7. Not coming back when the condition worsens. You can ask for a re-examination because of deterioration.

Frequently asked questions

Can tinnitus be recognised without any other bodily injury?

Yes. A hearing injury can be recognised as a hostile-action injury even when there is no other physical injury. The percentage is set according to the test results and the conditions in the disability tests.

The ringing started a few months ago and I have not been tested. Is it too late?

It is worth getting tested as soon as possible. Under the disability tests, tinnitus is recognised when it began no later than six months after the injury, so documentation as early as possible is what matters most.

What percentage is given for tinnitus?

Constant tinnitus, with hearing loss in the high frequencies, that began within six months of the event gives 10%. Tinnitus that is not constant gives 1%. Hearing loss in the speech range adds further percentages according to a table.

I am employed and was hurt while at work. Which claim do I file?

You can file both as a hostile-action casualty and as a work-injury casualty, and in the end choose one route. It is worth checking in advance which is better in your case.

How we help

We help you build an orderly medical file, prepare you for the medical committee and support the process with the National Insurance Institute, from the recognition claim to the setting of the percentage. You can meet us at our branches, including the new branch in Kiryat Shmona, or by phone: 077-711-6118.