Ear Damage (hearing loss and ringing)

[foghornl]

Last time I went to the local racetrack, I had a pocketfull of those cheap disposable foam plugs. Noticed kid in front of me covering his ears when the top class of 'stock cars' came out. Handed "Dad" 2 packs of the plugs.."Here..'Sonny' keeps covering his ears. Maybe it is too loud for him..."

Dad says "What???"

Handed him the packs and pointed to MY ears...He finally got it.

 

[Buck Nekkid]

I may have commented on this before, but it bears repeating. There is only one organization devoted to finding a cure and effective treatments, The American Tinnitus Association.

I have been a member for several years. There is very interesting and powerful research going on and it's an organization worthy of our support. They are actively working with the Department of Veteran Affairs as Tinnitus is one of the major debilitating effects of service in the Armed Forces.

 

[yourang?]

my loss is from too much rock and roll as a yute (youth)

it was fun, but now i usually decide to not turn on the stereo
so as to not get into it and turn it up louder, causing more trouble

yes...i have cricket too...even when it is twenty below...it is
the only time i am absolutely sure that it is in my head....

i use plugs for mowing the lawn and snowblowing....have to

at least my wife and i can joke about it.....she says: do you have
the time? and i say: you want a dime? and we laugh and say
at least we are rhymimg....

even driving with the car window open causes trouble

if i even dare to go to a rock and roll show now, which is very
rare, i go with plugs.....not as much fun but better than
more damage

oh well....wont stop me from shooting....use plugs and muffs....
always.....

 

[preventec47]

No one has mentioned shooting indoors without protection
which of course usually happens in the case of self defense.
As a 15 yr old kid I shot just a 22 rimfire in the hallway of our
home and my ears were ringing loudly for two days.
I cannot even imagine shooting a centerfire pistol or a high
pressure round of 9mm or 357 mag. I am seriously thinking
of jumping through the hoops to get a silencer for my
self protection home pistol. I know they are plentiful for
22 pistols but I dont see or hear much about them for
other centerfire pistols. Does anyone else know much
about which pistols for home defense are easiest to
put silencers on ?

 

[jnyork]

I just hate to hear guys saying " It's just a .22, it wont hurt your ears".

Yes, it will.

 

[HowardCohodas]

NIHL - Noise Induced Hearing Loss

After you have suffered hearing loss and side effects like tinnitus, there is little that can be done. Protection is the first line of defense. There appears to be a window lasting up to several days after a noise incident (e.g. SD shooting) that may ameliorate the consequences.

As a consequence of this article, I now EDC aspirin and vitamin E. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/noise.asp.

A small excerpt from the article follows.

NIDCD researchers also are investigating a potential way to prevent NIHL after noise exposure. Noise exposure triggers the formation of destructive molecules, called free radicals, that cause hair cell death. Researchers initially had thought that antioxidants, chemicals that protect against cell damage from free radicals, might prevent NIHL only if the antioxidants were given before noise exposure. In a recent study, however, the antioxidants in salicylate (aspirin) and Trolox (vitamin E) were given to guinea pigs as long as three days after noise exposure and still significantly reduced hearing loss. These results suggest that there is a window of opportunity in which it is possible to rescue hearing from noise trauma. Scientists hope to begin clinical trials with humans with the goal of reducing NIHL.

 

[Jst1mr]

A couple points...just because you have shot guns does not mean your hearing loss/tinnitus is related to that - yourang? above mentions some of the many other offenders, but there is also plain old simple inheritance of the trait. There is some evidence that our ears know how to "protect themselves" in the instance of long-term, sustained noise (Battlefield, for instance), though damage can take place when "surprised" by sudden, sharp noises - that gunshot, for instance. Also, and very importantly, ear plugs alone do NOT always provide protection...sufficient damaging vibrations can be conducted through bone structure near the ear to affect hearing...muffs will alleviate this.

 

[adam_oz]

i always have used just the cheap plugs. I think i will get a set of muffs now!

 

[razorback2003]

I wear both earplugs and muffs when at indoor and outdoor ranges. When walking up to check the targets at outdoor ranges, i still keep my plugs in just in case someone starts shooting before it is time. So far, no ringing in my ears after shooting over 15 years regularly. I do not listen to loud music or frequent concerts, so i'm sure that helps.

 

[Smith]

I have substantial ringing in both ears that I can usually hear, even with some background noise. I guess that's the result of years of piano, music editing, music in general, and a bad car accident. I just leaned to ignore it. I heard somebody on a different forum describe it as being like having a giant scar across your face. If you ignore it it's bearable, but if you constantly think about it it will ruin your life.

 

[benEzra]

There is some suggestion that N-acetyl-L-cysteine supplementation can help mitigate the long-term results of noise exposure (through prevention of cochlear cell death), though the effects, if any, are not short-term. I'd pick some up, though.

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2133398

And whatever you do, AVOID LISTENING TO MUSIC VIA HEADPHONES for the next few months, to give your hearing a chance to heal as much as it can, and sleep in a silent room if at all possible.

 

[jnyork]

I always have used just the cheap plugs. I think i will get a set of muffs now!

A REAL GOOD idea!!

 

[hso]

If you ignore it it's bearable, but if you constantly think about it it will ruin your life.

Mild tinnitus is "ignorable", but it can be so pronounced that it can not be ignored. It can cause serious problems due to the stress it causes which can lead to stress related physical problems. Let's not underestimate the damage that can occur to our hearing.

I hope that the thumbnail sketch everyone get's from threads like these is that you should always wear hearing protection while shooting (and when engaged in any even mildly "noisy" activity) and that you should double up with properly worn high NRR plugs and high NRR muffs).

 

[BullpupBen]

Does anyone know where I can find information on the hearing damage from using subsonic ammo, like .45 ACP and .44 Special?

After reading this threat, I'm almost as scared for myself as I am for the BG if I shot someone with a 12 ga or .357.

 

[Kentak]

Does anyone know where I can find information on the hearing damage from using subsonic ammo, like .45 ACP and .44 Special?

Subsonic or not, it doesn't matter. It's the amount of sonic energy created by the blast of high pressure gas exiting the muzzle. The speed of the bullet is irrelevant.

Loud gunshots in confined spaces are going to affect your hearing. A lot of the effects will be temporary ringing that will subside over the course of minutes. Some may be permanent. A small amount of your hearing will be lost. That will be added to all the other losses suffered during normal life activities--loud music, industrial noise, pushing your lawn mower, etc. No avoiding it. We do the best we can by wearing ear protection all the time when we know we're going to be exposed to lound noise. Even those foam plugs are better than nothing.

K

 

[BullpupBen]

Alright that makes sense. I suppose I'll just not worry about it and hope my adrenaline saves me.

 

[crotalus01]

Tinnitus is the best reason I can think of to invest in a sliencer. I have no idea why anyone would want to shoot unsuppressed (barring the cost and hassle of dealing with NFA)...

 

[mljdeckard]

I'm lucky. My dad, as well as my friends' dads, all seemed to be of the philosophy that ear protection is worn only when OSHA might be looking. As a result, growing up, I was shooting 130 gr .270, hot 300 win mag loads, and occasionally indoors I would shoot the odd revolver. I'm a musician, I would go to many concerts as well unprotected.

When I went to take my Army physical, I scored so high on the hearing test, they didn't believe it, they made me take it three times. In training as an armor crewman, I was well advised early on, that the army no longer pays disability for hearing loss. You are issued hearing protection, and if you don't use it, it's your fault. Period. Firing .50 Brownings and tank guns, I was non-stupid enough to believe them.

I came home, and when we would go shooting, I pulled out earplugs and everyone looked at me funny. But within a year, everyone else in my crew was wearing them too, gradually realizing that earplugs are not a challenge to your manhood. Again, evidence that God watches out for fools, drunks, and small children.

 

[MacTech]

The only time I don't wear hearing protection is when I'm shooting my H&R single-shot .22 carbine on my private .22 range and using CCI CB Long primer rounds, the hammer striking the transfer bar and the click of the round striking the paper target are the only noises it makes, it's almost completely silent

anything else, hearing protection is required, from .22 Short on up

I have to admit, I wonder what my CZ-75 and Glock 21 sound like without hearing protection, but I'm not willing to risk my hearing to find out, the pistol range at my rod and gun club has an enclosed shooting hut, and that tends to amplify the report from any firearm

 

[PaulTX]

I wear hearing protection when shooting but also around anything else loud - like a gas leaf blower.

Paul

 

[U-235]

I lost some high frequency hearing as a result of 6 years in the Navy as a nuclear propulsion plant operator on submarines.

I am now absolutely religious about wearing hearing protection, not just when shooting but at any time I am around loud noises such as mowing the grass, working with power tools, etc....

 

[DeathByCactus]

I don't remember how long my ears have been ringing for. I remember being a little kid, before I shot any guns, laying in bed listening to ringing... or maybe I just have distorted memories.

Between hunting and concerts I'd say is the culprit. I haven't heard the ring in months, then while reading through the facts in this thread boom there it is again...



If I can keep it at this level I will be happy. I'll have to be more careful.

 

[Dos]

I've been battling tinnitus for last 15 months. Mine is that high pitched electronic ring, sounds just like the old TV sets that had to warm up before the picture tube comes on.

Yeh, I'm 57... Sometimes, It rings til I finally pass out in bed at nite, and still be ringing when i first become conscious in the morning. Lately i've been doing better though. Don't know why.

I quit taking Ibuprofen for a few weeeks but didn't notice any real difference. It seems to me that mental headwork makes it come on. Tasks such as reading and surfing on the intenet for hour or more can set it off. Weird.

I have had the ringing sometimes for four-five day periods...then have a week of "very mild ONLY if I think about it ringing" There was times in the beginning where I thought I was gonna lose it because I couldn't sleep...then I learned to just ignore it, but that is easier said than done.

I took daily regimen aspirin (8MG) since i was forty...thats seventeen years...I wonder til this day if that had any effect on damaging my ears.

And yes, I got my ears rung in the duck blind numerous times in my youth and worked with power tools for the last forty years. Went to rock concerts and woke up next morning with ears still ringing. Nothing like that hind sight.

 

[moooose102]

not quite the same thing, but i had a freind who was in wwII and the korean war, he was a medic and one day while trying to help one of our wounded, a mortar went off less than 50 feet away. he spent some time in the infirmary, healing from his wounds. but since that day, he had permamnant hearing loss and ringing in his ears. he managed to live a normally, productive life until this past year @ 84, he passed away. it is going to be hard on you adjusting to this new trouble, but it can be done. i sincerly hope you recouperate 100%, but if you dont, you can adjust to it. keep positive. keep active. live long.

 

[Mak Maven]

Google,----> N - Acetyl Cysteine Noise damage {AND} ALCAR (Acetyl Carnitine)

They are using these over the counter meds, on marines at Camp Pendelton for noise damage.
They are having favorable results.

I take them both as a preventive. I have normal hearing, but I do shoot and wear muffs, just not taking any chances.

STILL available over the counter as NAC or N-Acetyl Cysteine and Acetyl Carnitine

Sorry about length of Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2003
David Karlman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
American BioHealth Group, LLC
15721 Bernardo Heights Parkway Suite 151
San Diego, California 92128
(ph) 858-675-3600
(fax) 858-613-0748
[email protected]
Compound Licensed By American BioHealth Group From U.S. Navy Shown To
Protect Against Hearing Loss From Noise

SAN DIEGO, California, February 24, 2003 -- American BioHealth Group LLC (ABG), a privately held San
Diego-based company developing hearing loss prevention and treatment technology licensed exclusively
from the U.S. Navy, announced today that positive pre-clinical data on that technology were presented in at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) Meeting held in Daytona Beach, Florida
February 23 -27, 2003.

In the poster presentation, submitted by Army Colonel Richard D. Kopke, MD, and other researchers at
DOD Spatial Orientation Center, Naval Medical Center, San Diego and the Center for Hearing and
Deafness, State University of New York at Buffalo, pre-clinical data were presented demonstrating that
administration of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) decreased acute noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to loud impulse noise exposure.

This new data extends previous research indicating that NAC is
protective against loud continuous noise such as jet engine noise.
In the reported study, NAC, given in a basic science model before and after simulated M-16 rifle fire
consisting of 150 shots over 75 seconds reduced permanent hearing loss by over 70%.

A similar reduction in damage to the cochlear hair cells was also noted. In other related research presented by the Naval Medical Center group at ARO, data were reported indicating that two key mechanisms of inner ear injury
were depletion of inner ear glutathione and damage to mitochondria. Glutathione is a key inner ear
antioxidant and NAC replenishes the inner ear glutathione depleted by loud noise.

In addition, in a related presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Hearing
Conservation in Dallas, Texas just prior to the ARO meeting, the Navy group reported that a mitochondrial
protectant known as acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR), also licensed by ABG from the U.S. Navy, effectively
reduced permanent hearing loss due to acute trauma from continuous noise, both when given as prevention before the noise and when given hours later as treatment.


“Based on these and other findings, NAC and a broader family of antioxidant compounds, like ALCAR,
licensed by ABG appear to be effective hearing loss protection therapies,” stated David Karlman, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of American BioHealth Group.

“These compounds have now been shown to effectively prevent both acute and chronic hearing loss, as well significant and growing healthcare issue in
our society today, as treat acute hearing loss, in models of various noise insults and cancer therapies.
These compounds represent the only therapy that addresses all aspects of the postulated mechanisms of
hearing loss due to noise, including free radical generation, glutamate excitotoxicity, glutathione depletion,
mitochondrial injury, and programmed cell death.

“Currently there is no pharmaceutical product in the marketplace targeted at these indications, and our goal is to develop a series of products based on the technology that addresses this significant unmet medical need,” added Karlman.

“Potential clinical uses include hearing loss prevention in high-noise work and training environments and in environments where people are exposed to a combination of noise and toxins, such as military flight lines and certain industrial settings; protection against recreational noise hazards such as shooting; and treatment for acute acoustic injury as well as hearing loss due to genetic predisposition, chemotherapy treatment, and aging.”
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