Do you know the noise reduction rating for kleenex?
I'm guessing it is not vary good and you are experiencing hearing damage. You may not be aware of it now, but when you turn 50 you may discover the irreparable damaged sustained.
Get a good set of hearing protectors (>29 NRR). These will attenuate the noise pressure impulse for gun fire by 40 dB. That means a 165dB impulse will be reduced to 125dB. The higher the dB impulse, the less overall exposure you can tolerate. (1 second continuous exposure at this intensity is the max tolerable before hearing damage begins). Actual gunfire is of shorter duration (1ms) and you can tolerate many gunshots.
Some otoneurologists are concerned with bone induction. So, large muffs than cover the bones around the ear are better than plugs alone.
Why yes, I do. The reduction in the audible decibel conflagration of properly applied kleenex is proportionately equivalent to a sneeze when properly inserted into the ears at a depth that can be safely extracted with one's fingers.
In other words, extreme caution should be used if one attempts to use a screwdriver to jam the kleenex in their ears to a depth that can sufficiently muffle the sound of a discharged firearm..........