Tinnitus

[RevolvingCylinder]

A thread in the revolver section made me wonder how many of us have Tinnitus(chronic ringing, buzzing, etc.) in the ears. I know I do. I suppose for many of us it could have been a side-effect of the loud noise experienced during the discharge of firearms. I guess for me there were quite a few causes, some of them involved working around loud machinery.

 

[Tommygunn]

What I have is in my left ear, and it comes and goes. Thankfully it isn't serious (yet -- knock on wood!!!!).

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Yes...But not from shooting.

I don't want it to get any worse, I already have to sleep with the TV on or w/ an Ipod, so I always wear plugs and muffs.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Yep. I've had a small case since I was little. Since it's a minor case, it's not bad, but I do have to protect my hearing. I stear away from loud noise whenever I can.

That being said, you should always wear hearing protection.

 

[Avenger29]

I started protecting my hearing almost from the start of shooting (even though my father eschews it). One layer (either muffs or plugs) for .22, Plugs and Muffs for anything above that.

I also wear hearing protection when working with power tools, equipment, or when flying.

Hopefully, I won't get tinnitus.

 

[bulgron]

I've had a slight case for as long as I can remember. It seems to run in my family. I've always been real careful about hearing protection around firearms, so I don't think that's the cause.

 

[RyanM]

Yes, but I've had it my whole life. I try to always use plugs and muffs. Shooting doesn't seem to have made it worse.

 

[hamourkiller]

Chemical plants are bad for the ears!

 

[Archie]

Yes. I'm very careful about shooting, but I drove a sports car for years with no air conditioning; that open window is an ear killer.

MIne isn't too bad, but it's enough. My hearing at one time was superlative. Now at 57 years, it's merely 'good'.

 

[Guitargod1985]

I noticed hearing loss as well, after only six years or so of driving with the window open. I used to always have the driver window open so that I could chain smoke, but now I use the sun roof.

The hearing in my right ear is excellent, but in my left ear it's a bit degraded.

As far as shootig goes, I now use both plugs and muffs simultaneously to prevent further damage.

The first time I went duck hunting I shot my 12 gague about thirty times without hearing protection.

 

[REPOMAN]

Hearing loss

My Dr. says my hearing is fine. The only thing that gets me is I have alot of trouble hearing certain words i.e. mow, yard, wash, car, bathe, dog, clean, and garage..... I don't understand!!!!!!!

 

[Bubbles]

Don't have it, don't want it, and have spent the $$$ for suppressor for my hunting rifles to decrease my chances of getting it.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yup.
Teenage shooting without ear protection, 4-80 air conditioning, noisy work environment.
It finally hit me several years ago, along with the hearing loss I had been accumulating. I like some white noise to sleep but can still get along without it if I must.

 

[Trebor]

Nope, no tintinitus. I have a very small "notch" hearing loss in my left ear, probably from forgetting to put ear plugs back in when firing a .380 ACP auto years ago, but it is only noticeable when there is a background noise, like a big A/C unit running, and the person's voice will blend in with the background noise.

You're going to get a higher response of "Yes" answers to this poll because the people who have tintinitus are going to be more likely to "self select" to open the thread and answer the poll.

 

[doubleg]

Yep I sure do. After a trip into the woods about a year ago my ears started ringing and never stopped. Wonder if that has anything to do with the 100 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of .45acp we shot off? Or the 14" subs in the back of my ford suv.

 

[230RN]

Yes.

Never used "real" hearing protection for the first twenty-ish years of shooting, just occasionally cotton in ears. no real problems.

Then I lost 10 measured dB in my right ear from a shotgun blast only about three feet from my right ear (jump hunting ducks with a buddy on my right.)

Low frequency tinnitus in that ear ever since.

For the last ten years I've had additional hi-frequency tinnitus in both ears due to aspirin dosage for arthritis. (Aspirin is an ototoxin.)

I keep a set of earplugs in my car and usually wear one in my left ear for open-window driving noise. I understand that a lot of truckers have problems from wind-blast damage in their left ears on this account.

Nowadays, have problems with distinguishing words if there's background noise, but in otherwise quiet circumstances, I can hear a bee fart from thirty feet.

Nowadays use both foam plugs and muffs at the indoor range, muffs only or plugs only otherwise.

Repoman, that was clever!

The only thing that gets me is I have alot of trouble hearing certain words i.e. mow, yard, wash, car, bathe, dog, clean, and garage.....

 

[joab]

I worked in tugboat engine rooms in the army so I have had a minor case along with some hearing loss for as long as I can remember
It got must more noticeable and almost unbearable after a stupid shooting session maybe a year ago

If it gets any worse I am thinking about looking into the surgery

 

[davera]

Just a touch of tinnitus - enough to where I never really experience true silence anymore. But mine isn't due to shooting, I blame it on the years I spent in big mainframe computer rooms as an operator. There's lot's of noise in the air conditioning, fans, printers, disk drives (you know, the ones that held disks 14 inches in diameter).

 

[Florida_Cracker]

Wow, look at how many folks have this ringing in the ears!

I have it constantly . . . cant' remember when it started . . . hardly notice it, but I cant' hear any high range sounds and sometimes have problems with hearing conversation. My wife claims it's selective hearing loss.

I suppose it might trace back to when I used to RSO the 106mm recoiless rifle range . . . without ear protection.

Yes, I'm "Old Corps".

I do use ear protection now . . . but it might be a bit late.

 

[cpttango30]

I have it very bad. I have it in both ears. It comes from shooting as a young man without hearing protection. I had to get a medical waver to get in the military with my hearing loss. There were jobs that I could not have to do my hearing loss one of which sounded like a lot of fun helo mech. Then to top it all off I was forced to operate heavy equipment in the military with out proper hearing protection. I should have a 30% disability from the military but I did not think it was there place to pay me for my stupidity call me odd right. Now I do nothing with out it. Mowing the lawn running my weedwacker, shooting, using power tools I wear hearing protection. I have noticed that since I got away from running heavy equipment My hearing is better but I will never get it back. I have it so bad that I have to wear a walkman type radio to get to sleep at night. Sometimes it gets so loud in my head that it will keep me awake for hours. I only wear my earplugs but these are the best ear plugs I could find and have a reduction rating of 39db. I make sure everyone I shoot with wears haring protection.

I have a very hard time hearing anyone speeking in a restraunt, I have a hard time hearing my kids talk because of there higher pitch voice. The one place I will wear double protecting is if I am at a NHRA drag race then I wish I could wear three because if you have never been to a NHRA drag race them top fule and funny cars are so loud it is like sticking your head in a jet engine for two days.

I wish it was not so costly to own a supressor in the states. Because it would be well worth the money to own a few of them I am telling you.

Not sure if people really know what this is caused by but here it goes. the ringing in the ear is from the inner ear behind the round window in the cochlea (Snail shell looking thingy). Inside this is two cavities, both fluid filled with microscopic hairs on the "Organ of Corti" that translate the sound waves into nerve impulses. When your ear gets a lound blast as in a shot from a gun or sustained loud noise these microscopic hairs shear away causing them to emit a constant nerve impluses. Which causes you to hear the ringing.

 

[CajunBass]

Hearing tests at work, and not understanding half of what my wife says tell me I've lost some hearing (no ringing or anything like that though). It started to show up before I got back into shooting a few years ago, and when I was shooting twenty years ago, I always wore ear protection. The hearing tech and I figure it came from years of running V-6 outboards on the back of bass boats. That wind noise will get you too.

 

[Vonderek]

Mine's not from shooting...from being dumb when I was younger in my rock & roll days. I used to play in bands and go to concerts a lot. Sammy Hagar at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh did me in permanently. I came out of the theater deaf. The hearing in my right ear came back okay but my left ear not so good. I have constant ringing in it ever since (maybe 25 years?). When I shoot I use ear plugs and muffs together and so far that's worked well. I keep plugs in my car and with my camera gear if I ever have to work near PA systems or loud noises.

 

[230RN]

cpttango30 said,

I wish it was not so costly to own a supressor in the states. Because it would be well worth the money to own a few of them I am telling you.

Do I smell a class action suit on this account against whomsoever it is who denies us the use of suppressors?

Ha!

Hahahahahahaaaaa... !

Lotsa luck.

No need to respond --jes' blue-skying. Not enough coffee yet this AM.

Me go now.

 

[apollosmith]

I had it VERY BAD for a year or so after a few times shooting without protection. It was associated with popping and cracking in my left ear that would wake me up and pretty much drive me batty. It slowly went away and I have no symptoms now and will never shoot (unless I HAVE to) without ear protection - electronic ear muffs so I can hear everything clearly and won't be tempted to take them off. Left ear hearing is also pretty bad, but it's mostly from playing drums as a teenager.

 

[Hokkmike]

A constant companion, often unheard because you get used to it. Tends to get stronger and waeker (in sound). I heard aspirin and other things make it worse.

I am stuck with it. I don't like it. But, it is one of life's little problems.