# Ear problem due to shotgun blast?



## Gone Fishing (Jul 31, 2001)

My wife asked me to ask this question but obviously we think a doctor visit is in order. We had my FIL's 80th bithday at out house 2 days ago and we shot a few rounds of 10 gauge shells from a cannon to celebrate the occasion. Unfortunatly, there was not enough ear protection and my wife is complaining about ringing and echoing in her ears. Does this normally pass with time or did we possibly do some perminent damage? As I said, a doctor visit is probably in order but I though I would run it by you guys that may have experienced this. Thanks for any input.


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

GF,

Well, not a hearing Dr but there's been plenty of press on hearing loss due to gunfire. Ringing and echoing after a shooting session is definately not normal. Hope your wife didnt lose any hearing at all. Good luck.

NB


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Probally should have at least stuck her fingers in her ears...


Actually there are small fine "hairs" that connect the ear drum to the inner ear. When these are damaged they repair themselves after a little while, which then makes the ringing go away. 
If they break they do not repair themselves and pretty much have a slight ringing forever.
BUT...It takes SEVERAL times of unprotected ears while shooting or any other blast or continued way above average noise to have these actually break..
So if this is the first time she has experienced this....... It WILL go away and she'll be fine...... Lesson learned........ALWAYS wear hearing protection!
-Bob


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## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

I have had problems after firing my handgun w/o earplugs. Something I will never do again, I fired one shot one day with 180 Grain hollowpoint(40 cal) and my ears rang for 3 days. It did go away though.


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## Jr.BowmanMI (Jun 27, 2005)

sitting in a duck blind, 10 bores on my left and right. mallard comes from right to left... ringing stopped that night lol Josh


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## wyle_e_coyote (Aug 13, 2004)

She will probably be fine after a few more days.

My hearing however is shot, due to my know it all, I'm going to live forever, teenage years, when I scoffed at hear protection. My high end hearing is gone. I have the same thing Pete Townsend of The Who has, just not as bad. I hear a slight constent ringing. I always wear ear plugs now, but too little too late. I make my son wear them every time we shoot.


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## Rupestris (Aug 25, 2000)

I had a ringing in my ears for about two days after shooting a mag full of .45ACP with no hearing protection. 
I thought I forgot my plugs and had driven out to some federal land in WV. The .22 rifles were no problem. That was what we intended to shoot anyway. Before leaving I thought I could run a magazine of 45 down range and be fine.
As I put the empty magazines in the range bag I found my plugs in a pocket I must have overlooked. 

Won't do that again.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

I disagree that it takes several times to damge ones hearing. It only takes once!! Doesn't mean her hearing is damaged ofcourse, but even one time with out protection is dangerous. Her ringing should go away in a day or two, but if it does not, nothing wrong with a visit to the doc. 

Handguns without ear protection is outright painful and very dangerous!


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## Gone Fishing (Jul 31, 2001)

Thanks for all the input guys. Hopefully it clears up soon. I had some hearing protection but not enough for everybody. I didn't realize she was going to shoot the cannon and she did it with no protection. No matter how old you get, you keep learning from your mistakes.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I have a pair of custom molded ear plugs that I wear for everything from shooting, cutting the grass, weed whipping, running power equipment etc...

Since they are very comfortable, I don't mind them and am very concious of my hearing after having the ringing in the ears problem as a child. Even if someone is not a shooter, they should have hearing protection available at all times and be ready to use it. Same thing with protective glasses.


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## yippy (Dec 22, 2004)

Mine have rang since the Damn Yankees concert in 95. No lie. I cant hear high pitched things real good. Cant hear deer walking in the woods til 30 yds or so. The ringing used to keep me up at night but 10yrs later its just another one of the things that I screwed up when I was younger. Had one of the stereo's in the car that could be heard bumping for miles. Sure that didnt help matters out any.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

Swamp Monster said:


> I disagree that it takes several times to damge ones hearing. It only takes once!! Doesn't mean her hearing is damaged ofcourse, but even one time with out protection is dangerous. Her ringing should go away in a day or two, but if it does not, nothing wrong with a visit to the doc.
> 
> Handguns without ear protection is outright painful and very dangerous!


Agree! One time is all it takes, plain, pure, and simple. While 22s do not seem all that bad they can also damage hearing in just one shot. Over time, 22s are just as much a problem as centerfire. It is one of those old shooter's tales that it takes many shots before any damage is done. The damage is done each and every shot. Luckily, it takes several before it becomes severe. But, there is no going back. Have the hearing protection with you at all times.

Handguns, shotguns or rifles, all are a problem when it comes to loss of hearing.

I carry plugs and Howard Leight Lightning ear muffs in my range bag. Then, each truck has an extra set of the HL Lightning muffs. And, I recently ordered a couple of extra sets of the replacement ear cushions and foam inserts for the muffs.


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## PrtyMolusk (Aug 13, 2000)

Howdy, John-

I'd recommend a visit to an audiologist.

Doesn't take but a few episodes like that to realize a measurable hearing loss.  

As some of you know from the last M-N-G, I'm now sporting a couple of hearing aids. I can't say it was _all_ caused by shooting without hearing protection (that darned Rock-n-Roll bears some of the responsibility!), but once the cillia in the ear are damaged, it goes quickly.

It's cumulative, too, so getting an early diagnosis is very important...


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## Murphy (Aug 10, 2005)

Wow.. Interesting thread..

So what do these guys in Iraq do?? They are playing with some mighty big guns there...

Are we suggesting they are all wearing ear plugs?? Or all coming home deaf ??


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## PrtyMolusk (Aug 13, 2000)

Howdy-



Murphy said:


> Wow.. Interesting thread..
> 
> So what do these guys in Iraq do?? They are playing with some mighty big guns there...
> 
> Are we suggesting they are all wearing ear plugs?? Or all coming home deaf ??


Based upon my experience, I'd say the latter......


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## Randy Kidd (Apr 21, 2001)

I have a 30% loss in my left ear and 20% in my right, Wore ear plugs in basic training, Couldn't do that in Nam..Three or four hundred 20 round mags ripped on full auto with guys on either side of ya doing the same over the course of a year was the culprit..


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## Murphy (Aug 10, 2005)

Randy Kidd said:


> I have a 30% loss in my left ear and 20% in my right, Wore ear plugs in basic training, Couldn't do that in Nam..Three or four hundred 20 round mags ripped on full auto with guys on either side of ya doing the same over the course of a year was the culprit..


1st off.. You have the craziest Avatar I have ever seen... :lol: :lol: 

2nd. My respects to you for your service.. I am ex Air Force but not during any wars.

3rd.. What is it like having that many guns firing at the same time!! I can not even imagine how loud that would be. My father was on an Aircraft Carrier during his service.. He said if you took off your hearing protection on the deck, you would go deaf within 2 minutes. I always thought it was an exageration.

Murph


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## bucknduck (Nov 7, 2003)

TSS Caddis said:


> I have a pair of custom molded ear plugs that I wear for everything from shooting, cutting the grass, weed whipping, running power equipment etc...


 Mine aren't custom molded, but If I'm doing something that requires me to talk louder than normal (that includes listening to my wife complain about my Cabelas receipts ), I'm wearing ear protection. I think about the day when I will not be able to hear a deer walking in the woods and the thought is enough motivation to do whatever it takes to protect my hearing.
I hope your wife is ok, and I too would recommend setting up an appointment if the ringing continues. not anything you want to take a chance with.


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## Randy Kidd (Apr 21, 2001)

Murphy said:


> 1st off.. You have the craziest Avatar I have ever seen... :lol: :lol:
> 
> 2nd. My respects to you for your service.. I am ex Air Force but not during any wars.
> 
> ...


What is it like hmmmm....well first take a lump of coal then insert it into your....well you know :yikes: voila!!!! perfect one carat diamond..I coulda' opened a jewelry store :yikes: :lol:


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## SmallGameStalker (Mar 5, 2005)

This thread brings up a question I've been meaning to ask for awhile. If every shot heard without hearing protection does damage, what does everyone do during hunting season? You need to be able to hear the noises the game makes, right? Hearing protection damps those sounds almost completely, so what do you do to both protect your hearing and keep your edge while hunting?


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