I just thought I'd share my experiences with folks here in case they might find it interesting.
I've had a loud ringing in my right ear for about a month and a half now. How did it start? Well, one day I came home and was taking my wallet out of my pocket when I realized I had just forgotten to do something really important while I was out. My anger mounted and I slammed my wallet down on a counter really hard and it made a surprisingly loud "bang" and it made my right ear start ringing, and it's been doing that ever since. I decided to make an appointment with an audiologist to check my hearing because I was getting really concerned and hoped something could be done. What they found was that the upper level (higher pitched) sounds were mostly unhearable by me--with equal loss in both ears. I mentioned that it might have something to do with age since I'm 45. They answered that even at 45, it's not normal, but maybe at about 70. They didn't seem to have an answer about the loud ringing in my right ear and whether or not it will ever go away. They just gave me advice about maybe running a fan next to my bed when I sleep. But it's not just when I try to sleep that I hear it. It's all the time--even when there's plenty of ambient noise.
You're probably wondering if I do any shooting. I do very, very little now. I haven't done more than maybe 50 rounds a year from all calibers lately, as in the past 15 years (mostly .22 to ward off noisy birds), and use muffs when shooting 12ga, .223, or 9mm. However, when I was in my 20s, I would sometimes shoot off a few rounds from a 9mm or 12ga. so I'd know what to expect if shooting unprotected in a self defense situation. People told me not to do that. But then again, other people have told me that they shoot unprotected all the time on a regular basis with no ill effects. So I figured shooting a few shots unprotected once in a great while couldn't hurt too much. I especially was impressed with a certain police officer who would watch us shooting in a small indoor range under a police station where a local gun club I belonged to was allowed to shoot. He never wore hearing protection and wouldn't even plug his ears with his fingers! I asked him how he could stand the noise, and he always said it wasn't that bad. He didn't seem to have a problem with his hearing either. We shot mostly .22 pistols there, but one time a guy started shooting a .357 and then the officer finally plugged his ears! I'm surprised it took that to make him understand what loud noise is.
Well, I don't know what caused my high-end hearing loss, or if this ringing in my right ear from my wallet slam-down will ever go away, but I find it quite ironic that slamming a wallet down on a counter could accomplish what a 9mm or 12 ga. didn't.
I've had a loud ringing in my right ear for about a month and a half now. How did it start? Well, one day I came home and was taking my wallet out of my pocket when I realized I had just forgotten to do something really important while I was out. My anger mounted and I slammed my wallet down on a counter really hard and it made a surprisingly loud "bang" and it made my right ear start ringing, and it's been doing that ever since. I decided to make an appointment with an audiologist to check my hearing because I was getting really concerned and hoped something could be done. What they found was that the upper level (higher pitched) sounds were mostly unhearable by me--with equal loss in both ears. I mentioned that it might have something to do with age since I'm 45. They answered that even at 45, it's not normal, but maybe at about 70. They didn't seem to have an answer about the loud ringing in my right ear and whether or not it will ever go away. They just gave me advice about maybe running a fan next to my bed when I sleep. But it's not just when I try to sleep that I hear it. It's all the time--even when there's plenty of ambient noise.
You're probably wondering if I do any shooting. I do very, very little now. I haven't done more than maybe 50 rounds a year from all calibers lately, as in the past 15 years (mostly .22 to ward off noisy birds), and use muffs when shooting 12ga, .223, or 9mm. However, when I was in my 20s, I would sometimes shoot off a few rounds from a 9mm or 12ga. so I'd know what to expect if shooting unprotected in a self defense situation. People told me not to do that. But then again, other people have told me that they shoot unprotected all the time on a regular basis with no ill effects. So I figured shooting a few shots unprotected once in a great while couldn't hurt too much. I especially was impressed with a certain police officer who would watch us shooting in a small indoor range under a police station where a local gun club I belonged to was allowed to shoot. He never wore hearing protection and wouldn't even plug his ears with his fingers! I asked him how he could stand the noise, and he always said it wasn't that bad. He didn't seem to have a problem with his hearing either. We shot mostly .22 pistols there, but one time a guy started shooting a .357 and then the officer finally plugged his ears! I'm surprised it took that to make him understand what loud noise is.
Well, I don't know what caused my high-end hearing loss, or if this ringing in my right ear from my wallet slam-down will ever go away, but I find it quite ironic that slamming a wallet down on a counter could accomplish what a 9mm or 12 ga. didn't.
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