Tinnitus

[BrokenBackJack]

HUH??????????:;:huh

 

[Allen]

I too feel lucky. I wasn't given ear plugs when I was a kid driving the old 2-cylinder John Deere tractors. As I got into my later teens and 20s, I started wearing ear protection as a rule when I drove tractors, ran grinders, etc.

I get the occasional round of ringing in my ears, but it is nowhere near what I've been reading on this thread. Not...even...close!

I preach to my kids about hearing protection, bought them noise cancellation ear muffs for shooting, etc. Now if I can just keep them away from shitty, loud music.

 

[Rut2much]

HUH??????????:;:huh

What!??

 

[Dirty]

At 37 years old I don't remember life before Tinnitus. I have come to terms with the constant ringing, but not being able to here soft spoken people or my kids sucks. If I can't read their lips, I can't understand them.

This is my life exactly. Been that way for 25 years. I didn’t realize how dependent I had gotten at reading lips until everyone started wearing a COVID mask.

 

[Davy Crockett]

When I was 3 or 4 I found a black cat firecracker out in the yard and put it in my pocket until the hired man threw his cigarette on the ground and walked away. I picked up the hand rolled roach and lit the firecracker and when I tried to throw it ,it went off right by my ear . I remember how bad my fingers and head hurt. I'm 100% deaf in that ear and I think that's the reason but I don't have a ring ,It sounds more like wind blowing when I breath.

 

[LBrandt]

I need a hat that says DEAF on it that I can just point to it. LB

 

[eyexer]

I’ve had it bad for 25 years nothing you can do

 

[guywhofishes]

Sweet Maria this thread is depressing.

 

[jdinny]

if this thread isnt a lightbulb for some younger guys to start shooting suppressed or wear hearing protection i dont know what is.

 

[JMF]

if this thread isnt a lightbulb for some younger guys to start shooting suppressed or wear hearing protection i dont know what is.

The thousands of dollars I've spent on suppressors was the easiest money I've ever spent. My wife and kids have never had to deal with a loud concussion or heavy recoil. None of them have ever flinched while shooting even my biggest guns.

 

[LOV2HNT]

I’ve had it since I was twelve. I remember the exact gunshot that started it and another at age 17 that set it in permanently so I guess I’ve had it constantly without any intermittent relief for 25 years now. After going insane for a few months I then got used to it. My loss of hearing secondary to the tinnitus became the biggest issue. All I do is religiously wear ear protection now while emphasizing and ensuring that my kids do also. I need background noise to sleep, like a fan running or something or all I hear is the high frequency squealing in my ears.

I also bought some cheap Howard Leight Impact Sport ear muff things for hunting. It was a long shot but since they were cheap I went for it. Holy balls, it was a lifesaver and a game changer. They give me super human hearing so I can’t imagine what they would do for someone without hearing loss. The first time I put them on I heard sounds in the woods I had forgotten even existed. I could hear water flowing in a creek, grass crunching beneath my feet, bugs buzzing by, birds singing…Now I can hear geese approaching the decoys from a mile away, I can hear a hen turkey Yelp from two miles away, I hear grouse coveys taking flight before my other friends do, and best of all I can communicate with my kids when we are hunting even when they are whispering. I have a part of my life back that I had assumed was gone forever thanks to some clunky headphone looking things. I’m not sure if they make smaller versions of them yet. They were $40 a pair last time I checked, but I just looked now and they are about $60. I bought 4 of them a while back. I may buy 4 more because they are my lifeline when hunting.

Outside of hunting though, when my earmuffs are off, my hearing sucks and even after visiting an audiologist I just have to deal with it and unfortunately so do my family and friends. $10,000 for hearing aids just isn’t gonna happen until I’m totally debt free with money to burn (so probably never gonna happen).

I have these same ear muffs, and for price you can't go wrong. They are also low profile so they don't interfere with shooting too much.

 

[Dirty]

if this thread isnt a lightbulb for some younger guys to start shooting suppressed or wear hearing protection i dont know what is.

…and a lightbulb to anyone with kids or grandkids.

 

[JayKay]

I have had horrid hearing since I was a kid. My dad had the same problems. I'd get inner ear infections, and the pressure would build until the ear drum would burst. The relief of the pressure was wonderful. The blood coming out of the ear wasn't.

I'm 51 years old. 14 years ago I had a tympanomastoidectomy, which should have been a permanent solution to my hearing issues, but turned out not to be.

This past monday, I had a pretty major surgery on the same ear. Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomy, Stapedectomy, and Ossicular Reconstruction. I'm told that my cochlea was still good, so I should experience good gains in my hearing in my right ear. Hopefully the tinnitus is manageable too.

I'll report back.

 

[Happycamper]

The M-1 garand in the pre Nam military barked like a bitch. There were no ear plugs back then. The concussion from the guy firing on the range to the right of me would end in a painful ear ache by days end.
I have pretty much ignored the ringing over the years. It certainly can be a nuisance. But, I think I can still hear a twig snap when a buck is in the vicinity of my stand.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Wishing you the best in your recovery JK!

 

[jdinny]

The thousands of dollars I've spent on suppressors was the easiest money I've ever spent. My wife and kids have never had to deal with a loud concussion or heavy recoil. None of them have ever flinched while shooting even my biggest guns.

Currently shoot a banish 30.
and the wife has hers app in with the ATF as we speak.
I got 3 kids so I suppose a 3rd one is needed sooner than later

 

[guywhofishes]

ha ha

our memories fade faster than our hearing at NDA

 

[snow1]

well over 100 rock concerts in my day, the hearing is really diminished

Bingo juanr,led zepplin late 60's at the met sports center in bloomington minn,(old queens stadium) did me in,ears rang for days after that concert,later in life gunfire,even had a double barrel shotgun chamber blow up in my face perferated my left ear drum(right hand shooter),the fix of the ear drum was one of the most painful experiences in my life,today I spend many hours at the gun range when we have ammo,just about 90% of the pattrons can't hear,they all talk loud,every other word is "huh
" or "what"...had a pair of custom injected ear plugs built,they inject into your ear channel,about as perfect protection one can get for shotgun sportsmuff's are great for protection but a pain shooting with.