Hearing Loss - Gun Fire

[Scarlett Pistol]

Incredibly stupid. We might be able to get you Lasik for vision, but treating hearing loss just isn't there yet.

The hearing loss is permanent. If this is the one time you ever do it, you'll be okay. Just don't do it in the future. Let your buddy destroy his hearing on his own. Personally, I'd feel guilty shooting my gun next to someone without hearing protection even if they are okay with it.

This was the first time I've ever done this - and only time.

When you say it's permanent but I'll be okay... what do you mean exactly? That most of the high frequency will come back? Or that the ringing will stop?

Mine was the first time a shorter a big handgun. Nothing had made my ears ring like that before. It only takes one time of not using protection. While I'm laughing to myself about that, it is totally true for hearing damage, I'm not just stretching to make a joke.

The ringing went away but I don't remember noticing high pitches. I still don't notice the high pitches too much since mine was just on the left side.

If I remember correctly the longer the ringing persists the worse the permanent damage that was done.

[Pierce]

Like I said above, if your ears are ringing, damage has been done. You may not lose much in the way of hearing from this one time and the ringing should stop soon.

 I have a constant hissing sound in my ears and hearing aids are more expensive than I can afford. People get so frustrated having to repeat themselves that they eventually stop talking to me. If I go to a movie theater my wife and I have to sit with our heads together so she can repeat everything that is said on the screen. We usually have many empty seats around us because people get up and move. Hearing loss SUCKS!

[007_Bond]

Thx guys for all the info.

I appreciate it.

[M1A4ME]

Everyone is/can be different.

I wear ear plugs when I shoot.  Some people complain ear plugs aren't enough and wear ear muffs over their ears when they already have ear plugs in them.

From a pure safety standpoint, ear muffs over the ear pieces that hold your glasses on your face is not getting 100% from your ear muffs.  The place I worked "outlawed" ear muffs over 30 years ago after studies (monitoring decibel readings outside and inside ear muffs in very noisy/loud work areas) showed the tiny gap created above/below the ear piece reduced the effectiveness of the muffs.  I know some people argue about that.  I'm just telling you what they found out at my company and what they did about it.

Different ear plugs (and muffs) have different ratings and fit your ears differently.  Read the product description and choose what works best for you.

Even a .22 can be loud enough to cause damage over time, so don't think a smaller cartridge is safe.

[007_Bond]

I was reading stuff online and someone said getting a steroid shot and some sort of magnesium treatment can help during the initial 24 to 48 hours to help recover and get it back to normal.

Has anybody else heard of this?

[WaltherP99]

Let me add my $.02 here...and I may start off a bit harsh...

You didn't wanna listen when people tried to tell you that you suffer from astigmatism...you kept on and on looking for a solution to a problem when the solution was right there in front of you. As far as your hearing is concerned...heed ALL the advice that has been given to you because the solution is right there. PROTECT what you have cause once it is gone, it's gone! I speak from personal experience. Like some of the other guys that have replied, I too was foolish over the years with my hearing. Loud music, compressed air, shooting without "ears" on etc. etc...thought all was well. Guess what...it wasn't! When I applied for my current job I had to get a physical which included a hearing test which I failed. At that time I had lost 30% of my mid to high range frequency hearing in my left ear. I had to get a hearing aid to pass that test so I could get this job. Yeah...a freaking hearing aid at age 30 because I was too careless with what I had. Whatever damage you did is done...the ringing will go away and your hearing will seem to go back to normal but believe this...whats done is done. It will seem normal but that's due to you getting used to it.

Now...little more about me. About 3 or 4 nights ago I took a 1-2 hour nap and woke up with 95% of my hearing GONE in my left ear. *POOF* outta the blue...something called Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Spent 5 hours in the ER to make sure I wasn't having a stroke or heart attack. Now, not sure if I can blame this on not taking care of my hearing over the years or not. I know it didn't help! Anyway, went to the audiologist and had a hearing test done which confirmed that I have pretty much lost all of my mid to high range frequency hearing and have VICIOUS tinnitus in my left ear (i've had the tinnitus for years but it has never been like this). I am currently undergoing the steroid injection treatments (1 out of 3 down so far) and I was told that they may or may not work. Have to wait and see. I don't think you would be given these injections anyway...probably just a swift kick in the rear and a firm "don't do it again". The injections are for more serious cases of hearing loss (ie: SSHL).

So, Please...PLEASE take the advice of your fellow forum members and shooters. Don't be an idiot like your friend and don't be foolish with your hearing. Protect yourself bro!

ETA: The steroid injections in the ear aren't fun BTW!

ETA again: $2-$3 will buy you a little box of foam earplugs...keep them in your glove box, shooting bag, gun case or whatever.

[seaswol]

At the range I often bring up that you can either wear hearing protection today while you are young or wear hearing aids (pointing to both of mine) later for the rest of your life.  I do like electronic muffs because they offer some protection and I can easily hear everyone between shots.

[007_Bond]

Let me add my $.02 here...and I may start off a bit harsh...

You didn't wanna listen when people tried to tell you that you suffer from astigmatism...you kept on and on looking for a solution to a problem when the solution was right there in front of you. As far as your hearing is concerned...heed ALL the advice that has been given to you because the solution is right there. PROTECT what you have cause once it is gone, it's gone! I speak from personal experience. Like some of the other guys that have replied, I too was foolish over the years with my hearing. Loud music, compressed air, shooting without "ears" on etc. etc...thought all was well. Guess what...it wasn't! When I applied for my current job I had to get a physical which included a hearing test which I failed. At that time I had lost 30% of my mid to high range frequency hearing in my left ear. I had to get a hearing aid to pass that test so I could get this job. Yeah...a freaking hearing aid at age 30 because I was too careless with what I had. Whatever damage you did is done...the ringing will go away and your hearing will seem to go back to normal but believe this...whats done is done. It will seem normal but that's due to you getting used to it.

Now...little more about me. About 3 or 4 nights ago I took a 1-2 hour nap and woke up with 95% of my hearing GONE in my left ear. *POOF* outta the blue...something called Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Spent 5 hours in the ER to make sure I wasn't having a stroke or heart attack. Now, not sure if I can blame this on not taking care of my hearing over the years or not. I know it didn't help! Anyway, went to the audiologist and had a hearing test done which confirmed that I have pretty much lost all of my mid to high range frequency hearing and have VICIOUS tinnitus in my left ear (i've had the tinnitus for years but it has never been like this). I am currently undergoing the steroid injection treatments (1 out of 3 down so far) and I was told that they may or may not work. Have to wait and see. I don't think you would be given these injections anyway...probably just a swift kick in the rear and a firm "don't do it again". The injections are for more serious cases of hearing loss (ie: SSHL).

So, Please...PLEASE take the advice of your fellow forum members and shooters. Don't be an idiot like your friend and don't be foolish with your hearing. Protect yourself bro!

ETA: The steroid injections in the ear aren't fun BTW!

ETA again: $2-$3 will buy you a little box of foam earplugs...keep them in your glove box, shooting bag, gun case or whatever.

Yes for sure. Thanks so much for the info. I appreciate the advice.

Do you mind filling me in when you know if the steroid injections help?

[Tenbones]

I've been around guns most of my life and during a good part of it wearing hearing protection was unheard of, no pun intended.  Now I have constant ringing in my ears, and I can't remember the last time I heard a bird sing.

[IDescribe]

It is not uncommon, when my glasses fog, and there is no one else present to shoot a gun, I take off my ears, then take off my glasses to wipe them off before continuing.  On THREE occasions, I've put my glasses back on, forgotten to put my ears back on, and fired the gun.  Once was in an indoor range with a solid partition to on either side to bounce the shockwave back at me.  The two other times were both at an outdoor range firing from under a slow metal roof, again bouncing the shockwave back at me.  All three times scared the bejeezus out of me.

Since the first time, my left ear rings almost 100% of the time.  I say almost because a few times I've gone a few weeks without shooting, and if I go that long without, it will stop.  But I double-plug when I shoot, and even double-plugged the noise of shooting is enough sound to keep that ear ringing indefinitely.  I shoot a few times a week when I'm shooting actively.

My right ear rings for a day or two if I'm exposed to even a moderately loud noise, but otherwise seems okay with the shooting I do.

Everyone should wear ear-pro every time they shoot.

[M1A4ME]

IDescribe, I've done something similar at a week long rifle training class a few years back.

Lying on the shooting mat, on the firing line, M1A's, M1 Garands, a few AR15's spread out on both sides of me (about 25 centerfire rifles on the line all week).  The range master is giving us instructions, I'm listening, making sure my magazines are where they should be, looking down range to ID my target, the range master is talking, I get my rifle "slung up", I insert the magazine and let the bolt go forward to chamber that first round, I'm looking through the sights, getting my NPOA and he shouts, "FIRE!"  The safety goes OFF, my finger comes back to the trigger, I'm taking up the slack and I hear the strangest bleep loud noise.  "Now what in the hell was that?" is going through my mind (I'm not in the trigger pulling mode now, I'm in the what the hell was that mode?) when I hear it again and suddenly I realize I don't have my hearing protection on.  I have to drop my head and work my ear plugs on/in while shooting is going on on both sides of me.  Then I'm ready to shoot.

It happened to me three times that week.  In prone every time.  Strangest thing is, it didn't hurt, my ears didn't ring then or later.  It sounded (if you can believe 20 some center fire rifles going off all around you wasn't extremely loud) loud, but not like my mind thought 20 plus rifles should sound like.

Not sure why, and I didn't leave them out to see what would happen through the whole stage, but it was a strange experience/feeling to know that happened and it didn't really hurt.

Sometimes I think adrenaline can have some strange effects on the body.

[Redcat94]

When I was 19 I saw Iron Maiden from the third row. I had forgotten my ear plugs and they rang for three days. That taught me my lesson and I have always used protection since. Now after twenty years of shooting, concerts, jet engines, and shop noise I still have excellent hearing

[IDescribe]

Strangest thing is, it didn't hurt, my ears didn't ring then or later.

I'm guessing you were completely open air.

In all three cases with me, I had close-by flat structures for the sound to rebound off of and hit me again and again.  At the indoor range -- two partitions separating me from the adjacent stalls, plus the ceiling.  And the 2nd and 3rd time on a concrete platform with no side walls, but with a corrugated metal roof over my head.  The two times outdoors but under the metal roof were the loudest, for whatever the reason.

Also, I understand anecdotally that having your mouth open helps reduce the effects of the report. 

[sneefy]

Hearing damage is not to be taken lightly. It is cumulative and damage can happen suddenly without any signs leading up to it. A single audio trauma event can change your life.

It's not just loss of hearing or tinnitus. I have hyperacusis caused by an airbag going off when I hit a 10 point buck 2 years ago. That decibel level is comparable to a somewhat larger caliber going off close to you. Now, in my left ear, things are actually louder than they should be. Especially higher frequencies. Faucets running, potato chip bags crinkling, when people whistle their 's' in their speech pattern, my own voice when I sing or speak above a medium volume.

Those sounds (and many others) are painful and drill into the brain much more than they should. I haven't been shooting since the accident happened. I'm frankly afraid to do so because I don't want to cause any more damage. I don't know if I will go back unless I go suppressed.

It's especially life-changing for me because I took great care of my hearing. I rarely went to concerts, brought earplugs when I did. I used to sing in a professional choir and act on stage. I have not listened to much music at all in the past two years and only at very low volume. My hearing was precious to me and a large part of my joys in life were dependent on it. The impact on my quality has been significant. I would rather be deaf in my left ear instead it's the opposite.

After two years with only minor improvement, I have no reason to believe this will NOT be permanent. Meaning I will never sing in in a choir again, never go to a concert, never go to a movie in the theatre, never go to a noisy bar, and avoid any situation that might be loud and I carry earplugs with me at ALL times. It isn't just frustrating. It's often miserable.

Once the damage is done, and it is cumulative, there is no turning back. No surgery or drugs can reverse it. So my ENT and audiologist both say. It also doesn't matter what your friend can tolerate. Everybody's ears are different. BE CAREFUL.

PLEASE protect your ears.

[Quercusmax]

Besides all of the above good advice, I?ll put in another plug for eye protection as well.

Unlike hearing loss which is caused by sounds which are giving off the warning of being loud but that are not sudden or painful, and is usually not totally debilitating, vision loss can occur suddenly and unexpectedly ... and painfully.  And is usually debilitating.

Following a trip to the ER for an eye trauma incident (that was not shooting related, and fortunately was not permanent although painful and scary), I now wear eye protection for almost everything I do outside of the house or with tools and equipment.