Let's Drink to Hearing Protection!

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BenW

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Well here's something I never heard of before: I read an AP story in my local paper this morning that scientists are testing a "hearing protection drink" on marines. The article says the drink (also available in pill form) has the ability to help prevent hearing loss (and in some cases restore some hearing) through the use of antioxidants.

This is a new one on me. Has anyone ever heard of this kind of research before? Maybe it's time to start taking megadoses of Vitamins C & E..... :)
 
I'd still wear earmuffs and plugs whenever possible (i.e., not in combat or field training). The damage from high-frequency sound waves to those teeny, tiny hairs (cilia?) inside the ear is a physical phenomenon. Even if you enhance the body's repair capabilities, the damage goes on. If this stuff works, it might be a nice addition to earmuffs and plugs, but I wouldn't try it as a replacement if I could wear the usual.

O Great Badger: you mean you stick sushi in your ears while you drink this new concoction?
 
When I was doing armed security, one of the guys at a place I was working at had been Army artilery. I asked him what kind of hearing protection they wore, and was surprised they wore none. I would think that they would at least have plugs in, but he said they never bothered because they couldn't hear their orders if they had plugs in. Wouldn't the Army require some kind of hearing protection. I can't imagine the kind of hearing loss after a few years firing the big guns without any hearing protection.

Any ex or current Army artilery guys out there have any insights on this?

I've always been extra careful to protect my hearing ever since I first started playing bass in a junior highschool band. We would wear my buddies shooting muffs when we were practicing, and I would always wear plugs when playing on stage. I never turn up my stereo to a loud level, and when I'm at the range, I've got my ears on before I'm even in the range area. Hearing loss is permanent, so I don't want it to happen prematurely. When I heard this guy tell me about his time in the Army I was like :eek: .
 
Sushi works great, but it's a bear cleaning it out of your ears when you're done! :D

When I was in the Marine Corps in the mid 70s, we used broken Q-Tips or nothing if our earplugs got misplaced (common occurence). Shooting out at the local gravel pit, we very often shot without hearing protection. My Super Blackhawk cured me of that nasty habit for good.
 
One time last year I was at the range and my cell phone started ringing. I made the extremely unwise decision to remove my hearing protection and answer it.

Needless to say, the guy in the next lane continued shooting ( it was a .45 I think). It took just one shot from his gun for my ears to start hurting. I simply couldn't believe the difference between with/without hearing protection! :eek:

I'll never remove my hearing protection again at the range. Oh yeah, my cell gets turned off on the way in! :cool:

Cheers,
ChickenHawk
 
Speaking strictly as a guy with a 70% hearing loss: more power to these pills if they help, but you'll never see me at a range without plugs and muffs both. Losing your hearing isn't crippling, but can be embarrassing at times, not to mention inconvenient.
 
more power to these pills if they help, but you'll never see me at a range without plugs and muffs both.
Click to expand...
The article said that the test subjects would be wearing plugs as well. Apparently even with plugs alone about 10% of the trainee population suffers some hearing loss. The article also mentioned a verifiable small reversal of hearing loss due to aging in prior test subjects with hearing aids.

I found the article online. Here's the link:

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/...,0,3428859.story?coll=sns-ap-health-headlines
 
I've always been religous about wearing muffs while practicing, but I shoot upwards of 400-500rds of rifle ammo a year at hogs, coyotes, and other vermin, I never wore an earplug. I started wearing an earplug while bird hunting in my left ear a few years ago. A couple weeks ago I went to take a physical for the Border Patrol, the hearing in my left ear is damaged, to what extent I don't know yet. I knew I had some loss, womens voices have been hard to hear for about 10yrs now. I'm 29 years old, not wearing something everytime might end up costing me a job I dearly want. Now I carry a set of plugs all the time, the right ear doesn't show any loss and doesn't take much abuse since I am right handed, but I pop a plug in my left all the time now and will carry them for the rest of my life.

It isn't anything to mess around with. So grab your kids some plugs and talk em into putting one in, before they fire at game if they have the time. My dad is kicking himself for not doing it for me, but the truth is most of the damage has been done since I left home, it is my own mess. So now I have to wait a bit and figure out what to do next and if I have to jump through any special hoops for my dream job. What really makes it bad is I aced the written exam, the rest of the physical, passed my oral interview last Wed., now I get to wait on my hearing. Please put a plug in, even if it is for game.
 
womens voices have been hard to hear for about 10yrs now
Click to expand...

Sounds like a pretty convenient disability to me! :neener:

I have mild tinnitus in my left ear from two 9mm 115gr +P+ rounds fired without hearing protection. That was five years ago.
 
I keep a pair of sonic II ear plugs with me all the time. They allow you to hear normal noises like talking but reduce loud noises like gunfire, power equipment, concerts, airplanes etc. I even wear them when I hunt since they allow me to hear noises like the crunch of leaves when a deer approaches. And best yet they only cost about $10.
:cool:
 
Devonai,

Not convenient at all when the wife throws heavy objects to get your attention. :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"whack"
"ouch what did you do that for? "
"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes."
"I never heard you, why don't you try coming out of the back of the house."
"You ought to be able to hear me anyway."
"I can't"
"How convenient, but you can hear a deer walking in the woods."
"I don't know why, but I can't hear your voice."
"Sure"
"I swear"
"whatever"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

But I have proof now, I knew their was some loss, but didn't realize just how much. I'm going to schedule some visits with an audiologist to see if maybe something else is wrong, but it doesn't look like it.

I have had a couple close calls, had a guy I was hunting with cut loose a 20gauge 3" mag load with my head about 8" from the muzzle as he swung on a duck. We didn't hunt together after that. Another night I got in a fix in a creek bottom when a supposed to be dead boar hog came to life and charged, the guys on the bank fired 9rds of .44mag, some 30/30, and six rounds of .357 into the hog before he got to me. I was dang near deaf for a week, constant ringing. A week before the hearing test I was working as a sharpshooter for the Texas Health commision doing a de-population of a hog farm. I had been using a .22lr making headshots and a .22pistol, when another shooter opened up next to my head with an AK and fired about 8rds. My left ear has not quit hurting since.

So hopefully if I get a show cause letter on my ear, I can go in and have it tested again and it will be good enough to pass.
 
"whack"
"ouch what did you do that for? "
"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes."
"I never heard you, why don't you try coming out of the back of the house."
"You ought to be able to hear me anyway."
"I can't"
"How convenient, but you can hear a deer walking in the woods."
"I don't know why, but I can't hear your voice."
"Sure"
"I swear"
"whatever"
Click to expand...

My wife and I have similar conversations. I've always worn hearing protection except when shooting 22's outdoors (even then, we're not talking thousands of rounds, but hundreds...). Still, I have a very hard time with voices, especially if there's ANY background noise or not in the same room. I don't think it's shooting related though. My dad has had the same problem for years.

Chris
 
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