From: stropp@Mayo.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Hearing: loss/protection.
Date: 6 Nov 92 20:00:41 GMT


      John Stephens Cronin (##) writes:
## OCCASIONAL use of a firearm without hearing protection, especially a pistol,
## is probably not going to cause any permanent hearing loss.
## While I certainly suffered some temporary loss of hearing, for that night
## only, when we had a hearing test a couple of months later my hearing was
## rated as very good for a 26 year old.  I certainly have no trouble hearing
## now, and I do not use sign language.

      Stan Young (#) writes:
# John, when I was in my 20's, I thought my hearing was great - and it tested
# out that way.  It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I had a hearing test that
# charted the hearing acuity at various frequencies that they picked up the
# problem.  And it only gets worse...

    To add another data point.  I too have a notch on my hearing spectrum
caused by gunfire.  It existed to a very minor degree at age eighteen when I
first had one of these tests done.  I attribute this to firing *many* 22LR
and 16 guage shells in my youth, but that is an opinion.  The hearing loss
at this point was undetectable to me.  Then on one occasion, at age 20, I fired
only ten rounds through a 4 inch 357 magnum without hearing protection and
with a metal exterior wall of a mobile home about 3 feet to my right.  Well my
head roared for about 24 hours, I tried to sleep until it went away but there
was no way I could sleep.  This is a generally miserable experience as others
can attest to I am sure.  I had my hearing tested again about one month after
that and there was a very significant change.  It now dipped way below the
normal and then came back up.  This notch was centered around 3 to 4 kilohertz.
The audiologist, without knowing my history, asked if I shot guns a lot.  When
I said yes, he said "I bet you are either left handed or you shoot pistols."
I told him of my experience and he explained that my right ear was worse
than my left, and that the muzzle of a long gun is closer to the right ear
for a lefty, but the muzzle of a pistol is closer to the right ear of a righty.
Anyway this notch in the hearing spectrum is typical of noise damage including
but not limited to gunfire.  I am convinced it is due in large part to that
one experience with contributions from the days before I knew what muffs were.
This loss has not improved over the last decade so I consider it permanent.
On the other hand it hasn't degraded either in spite of frequently firing
357 mags, 44 mags, 45 win mags and various rifles and shotguns.  The big
difference is, of course, hearing protection.  It is foolish to shoot without
it.  Hearing loss can and does happen, ask your audiologist, it is commonplace
to them.  Wear good ear protection because once the damage is done, it is done.
You now know better ... but it is still done.
   The only good thing I have discovered about this is when an occasional
cricket gets in the house and starts chirping when I'm trying to sleep, I
put my left ear in the pillow and I just plain cannot hear him anymore.

                             Thanks,
                             John
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