Hearing damage 45 ACP

[gary0529]

To the OP,
I have PERMANENT deafness in the left ear and a significant deficit in the right. When I went for the original exam with the ENT the first question/statement he made was -"you are a right handed rifle shooter aren't you?" The right ear semi-protected by position and the left is out to get all the impulse from the shot.
Hearing aids are very expensive and only help a little- the tinnitus is constant but you get used to it, for the most part.
Yes, I am older and my youth was spent shooting skeet, trap and rifle mostly with ears unprotected-the wadded Kleenex did not do much and ringing ears after 100 rounds on the trap line left you with constant ringing for a few days.
Go to either an ENT or audiologist and get checked out-even if things are OK now you will have a baseline for future evaluations.
Learn from others-also, put on sunscreen as skin cancer is real and the sun is not your friend.
Oh yeah, the damage to your hair cells in the middle ear and your skin cells on your face, ears and arms is cumulative and permanent!

If you like having diminished hearing and frequent visits to the doctors for ablation of cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions, ignore all us old guys at your peril.

Best wishes and take care.

Gary

 

[snowtigger]

In 1970 a friend got a new Ruger 41 magnum. We spent the whole afternoon shooting it without protection. My ears still ring. Sometimes it is deafening, usually it's just there.
Today, I don't go to the range without plugs and muffs.
PS: I always carry extra plugs. Some guys, mostly younger, bring their kids to the range and don't have any protection for themselves, or the kids. I try to strike up a conversation and offer them plugs. They almost always take them, at least for the kids.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

In 1970 a friend got a new Ruger 41 magnum. We spent the whole afternoon shooting it without protection. My ears still ring. Sometimes it is deafening, usually it's just there.
Today, I don't go to the range without plugs and muffs.
PS: I always carry extra plugs. Some guys, mostly younger, bring their kids to the range and don't have any protection for themselves, or the kids. I try to strike up a conversation and offer them plugs. They almost always take them, at least for the kids.

8 or 10 years ago a client employee threw out 2 cases of individually wrapped foam earplugs because the cardboard case was wet. I'm still using the individually wrapped ear plugs from those cases. I keep about 50 sets in my range bag.

 

[Az-quailhunter]

Try not to do that again! At age 65, I'm down a few decibels in my left ear....yes some of it from shooting back in the day
without protection....but most of the damage is from being a Radioman in the USCG. Those darn high pitch CW signals (Morse Code)
coming thru the headphones while on watch on my ship....does a number on you after 8 hours a day! OH....and another good one is
my current job as a radar technician....damn tuning forks all day long!

 

[hso]

how shortly after exposure are we talking?

Hours, as with anything else that might help. Anything but the steroids that have been shown to be somewhat beneficial is probably placebo effect (no science to support a real treatment, but placebo can be powerful).

Within 24-48 hours for steroids treatment is important for real help.

 

[hso]

so does anyone know how bad specifically 45 acp rounds are for your ears? Ive tried searching it and cant get any good answers. Will my ear be the same? its only the left one specifally.

How bad? ~16 dB above the 140 dB instantaneous damage level,
which is double the sound pressure level and doubled again (and again).

Will my ear be the same?

No, but you may eventually not notice.

 

[mjsdwash]

ive known a few people who shoot without earplugs from time to time, and naturally increase the volume of their TV's and radio and whatever else to compensate, and the ringing does not stop, and their hearing stays poor. After adjusting everything back to normal for a few days, they go back to normal. 7 rounds of 45 acp outdoors is not something that should cause several days of ringing.

 

[bassjam]

I shot off 7 rounds of a hi point 45 before realizing what i had done. ringing has not stopped after 2 days

It's been a little over a week now, is the ringing still there?