Posted on 07/14/2017 1:20:58 PM PDT by WKTimpco
“Muffs with 30+ NR will suffice for outdoor use.”
The audiologist told me, and my research back up, that a 30db compression is not enough for my 30.06. 165-30= still too friggen loud, although, again, different people have different propensity to damage. Genetics and whatever, whatever.
I am 60 and had to start wearing hearing aids three or four years ago. I always wore plugs and/or muffs, but shoot about 200 rounds a week, plus for years I drove drag cars on the weekend with .032 aluminum interior between me and the headers. It’s not a big deal, the fun I had more than makes up for the inconvenience. Take your young son to the range! Take him hunting in Alaska and Africa.
“You might be right. The audiologist was trying to sell me on hearing aids....”
You agree with some freeper you never met and think your audiologist is scamming you? You are in denial.
No kidding, how on earth do the rest of us cope?
My hearing is crap since my early twenties, too many explosions, aircraft noise, and gunfire. Doubled down later with loud music.
20 years navy in the engineroom. Wear foam earplugs and shooting ear muffs over them. That should reduce the noise to below 60 db. Also keep your mouth shut when you shoot...impact sound can get to your ears through your mouth.
I’m sorry I only have time for a bookmark now, but I am 65 years old, have played rock and roll all my life, and have suffered quite a lot of high frequency loss. I have found high-end hearing aids to be helpful, in fact they have completely changed my life at work and at home. I promise to write back in a day or so with useful information.
I finally broke down and got hearing aids last year. I tended bar for many years, frequently with loud music.
Now I can’t pretend not to hear anything from Mrs. JimRed to which an honest answer will get me in trouble...have to learn to lie, I guess.
Keeping the mouth shut I think is good information. One ear can be affected more than the other because of the “skull shadow.” Think about how right-handed shooters tilt their heads. So right handers are affected more in their left ears.
Hearing loss plus tinnitus at 3.7k - 4.0k hertz is bearable with Widex Horizon 440 hearing aids. $6,800 cheap
Try combining in-ear “bud” noise suppressors with active over-ear “ears.” Total reduction over 40 dB? I and others do this in indoor AR drills.
in-ear:
https://smile.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-MAX-1-Uncorded-Earplugs/dp/B002JFRWPA
plus over-ear:
https://smile.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Impact-Electric-Earmuff/dp/B001T7QJ9O
you can add them
Correct
I’ll look into those. Thanks! I wouldn’t get implants without a second or third opinion.
I use noise cancelling ear protection. When I’m acting as range officer I use the same WITH foam plugs. For .22 I just use the silicone, fitted plugs. I’ve still got loss in my left ear though from my dumb years.
I think the original post is implying that something a little like hydrostatic shock (from air compression waves only, of course) is capable of causing hearing loss. I don’t know that to be false.
It seems that the Hearing Protection Act is appropriately named after all.
How much hearing loss? Does the audiologist think you’re on the path to deaf? How about you get better hearing protection, not all noise cancelers are made equally.
This post is of great interest to me. Thanks for posting.
Counter-intuitively, the lower frequency “BOOM” causes more loss in the upper frequencies. The cochlea is shaped like a snail shell. The lower frequency booms pass by the first couple of the “snail’s” passageways until the hit the smaller, tighter passageways next to the skull bone. It’s in these smaller places that the hair cells detect higher frequencies and receive most of the damage from high-impact noises. I guess you could call that a type of hydrostatic shock. I don’t know.
My audiologist can’t tell me if better hearing protection will help me. Too much of the science of hearing loss depends on the individual. In a single, self-defense use of a firearm without hearing protection, for instance, some will experience immediate, permanent loss and some will not. There is a big difference between a .38 special and a 12-gauge shotgun. I would like to believe that there is a combination of the fitted, silicone plugs with the muffs that will protect me. My audiologist said I could try some things and get tested again in a year. Might be worth a try.
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