Skiing a cure for deafness?
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:14 amA 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.
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!"
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.
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!"
