Thread: Tinnitus - still need earmuff's?

Evening.. new to forums.. and most guns in general, from Auckland.. Safety is number one priority.!


Forgive my sense of humour..

Bet your earring are still ringing!

Welcome its a good forum

Welcome @Bunker
My personal experience follows:
Shot 303/7.62 NATO for some years on ranges (Air Training Corps/National Service/TF), and quite a few hunting trips.
After being on the range (shooter/trainer), I had bad tinnitus and a severe headache.
Took several days for the tinnitus to recede.
Now (50 years later), wear $10.5K hearing aids to replace loss of high frequency hearing.
It's a bugger, because (having got used to 'normal' sounds), everything/everyone sounds like they are using/talking through a cheap 1950's transistor speaker.
Use earplugs and ear muffs - you don't realise how important your hearing is, until you don't have it.
Tinnitus is the 'early warning' of problems later in life.
Did the expensive hearing aids fix tinnitus - short answer, NO.
Still there but much reduced.
Firing a 'big 50' in the States, 3 years ago in an enclosed both (M82A1), with the brake angled back into the booth - f#%ked hearing for good, even wearing 35dBA earplugs.
My sad tale of ear abuse.

What everyone had to do before hearing aids.

In total support of WallyR's comments. Back in the day it was not uncommon to fire 10,000 rounds via a bren on a 25m range in a gully and with no ear protection, bar rolled up cleaning cloth (4x2 when ears began hurting.) I now wear both plugs and muffs of highest quality to prevent further loss. A close family member (non shooter) is almost completely deaf and struggles valiantly to communicate in everyday life. Protect your ears at all costs!!

I got Tinnitus using a nailgun to help a neighbour build a fence
Paying the price of a life time sentence for not getting my earmuffs

Originally Posted by sako75

I got Tinnitus using a nailgun to help a neighbour build a fence
Paying the price of a life time sentence for not getting my earmuffs

I got mine shooting my first centrefire (Sako 270) with no ear muffs. I feel you pain. Its not nice and no one else apart from us that have it understand all the fuss

I have the ringing in my ears 24/7. I am sure it comes from hundreds of rounds down range in the army all those decades go and not helped by decades of obnoxiously loud alarm sirens in close proximity. I cope with it by ignoring the ringing. Doesn't always work.

I have buzzing in my ears a lot, seems to go away when the missus leaves the room!

Originally Posted by Rushy

I have the ringing in my ears 24/7. I am sure it comes from hundreds of rounds down range in the army all those decades go and not helped by decades of obnoxiously loud alarm sirens in close proximity. I cope with it by ignoring the ringing. Doesn't always work.

So you were in the army and a burglar

I have the ringing constanly as well also can't hear people in places where there's lots of other people talking or other noise mines from shooting and machinery and hammering impact guns etc

I just passed 40 and have noticed my hearing fading. I allways wear electronic earmuffs when shooting and often wear them for hours on end (they also keep your ears nice and warm).

Last week of the duck season I went out with my mates. It got dark, we started to pack up then a pair of mallards came in and one of my dear friends got excited and shot over my heads when I had no muffs on. As well as the less than desierable saftey aspect I felt the blast wave of the shot roll over me and instantly thought this is bad.

The ringing in my ears got noticably worse after that.

Always wear your muffs boys. I am starting the think that the standard howard leagh impact sports muffs, while better than nothing are not enough for big caibers and prolonged exposure.

Get your hearing tested. I'm over 60 and fought oncoming deafness off until family gave me the short shrift. Over 60's get free assessment. Initially I thought I would be embarrassed about having to wear hearing aids, but realise I was an embarrassment without them. Modern appliances are almost invisible, and volume controllable. Why I put up with the deafness for so long I have no idea. See earlier post about 'double protection' when using firearms now.

Haha that's some funny shit 223nut. How has no one commented on you laugh out loud comment

Haha funny shit 223nut

Originally Posted by 223nut

I have buzzing in my ears a lot, seems to go away when the missus leaves the room!