hearing sounds like blown speaker

[ws6guy]

Well today I went shooting. about 20 shots with my 1894 44mag. No problems then. But then shot 100 shots through the CM9. After shooting the CM 9 my right ear sounds like a blown speaker. I did have some ear plugs in and after the first few shots I had very very light buzz in my ear. So I repositioned the ear plugs and continued to shoot. Didn't real notice anything until I took the ear plugs out and my right ear did sound normal.

Anyone else have this happen? Hopefully it will be better in the morning! I think the next time I need to take some muffs to the range.

 

[Westside]

looks like you stressed your ear drum. You should be fine I would just avoid loud noises for the next few days, no shooting, rock concerts, Auto races, etc. If it isn't 100% after the weekend I would call an audiologist and get an exam.

Pm me if you have any specific questions.

 

[Kagnew]

Well today I went shooting. about 20 shots with my 1894 44mag. No problems then. But then shot 100 shots through the CM9. After shooting the CM 9 my right ear sounds like a blown speaker. I did have some ear plugs in and after the first few shots I had very very light buzz in my ear. So I repositioned the ear plugs and continued to shoot. Didn't real notice anything until I took the ear plugs out and my right ear did sound normal.

Anyone else have this happen? Hopefully it will be better in the morning! I think the next time I need to take some muffs to the range.

Sure, sure, sure. Anything to get out of being drafted!

 

[dleeharrison]

You have what is known as a "temporary threshold shift" which is a temporary hearing loss. I would strongly adivse that you obtain a set of earmuff hearing protectors with a high noise redution rating (look for a high NRR that is on the earmuff label). You may haven't had your earplugs in correctly. There is a right way of inserting earplugs, hence the high impact noise caused the shift. A lot of people stick them in your ear which doesn't help. You need to pull the top portion of the ear up and out, insert the earplug and release the ear. This will open the ear canal and close the canal after you insert the plug, making a seal around the plug.

You want to keep the hearing that you have. Once you loose your hearing (high frequencies at first) - it will never return. I have managed a number of hearing protection programs with industry so I am very familiar with what you have experienced.

I have lost a significant portion of my hearing due to gunfire in the Army. We were never issued hearing protection - looking back I wish they would have. After firing automatic weapons and being exposed to artillery fire - it was painful at times and I could only hear a dull roar at times.

Take care of your hearing.

 

[ws6guy]

Thanks for the info!! Sitting here watching TV my right ear is definitely muffled. I've never have had this happen with the foam plugs but this was first time firing more than 100 shots at a sitting. I must not have had the right plug in right as the left ear seems completely normal. Funny thing is the gun never seemed loud.

 

[db1959]

You might have some fluid building up in your ear. Had something similar happen to me after being exposed to loud noise. It turns out I had fluid in the canal and had to get that ear tubed.

 

[bluewraith]

You may have also inserted them too far, and pushed up a wall of ear wax blocking the passage.

Pretty easy fix.. warm washcloth and lay your ear on it. Thats what they'll tell you anyways.. I always get a q-tip wet with hot water and slowly work it in. I've never had luck with the drops that are supposed to dissolve ear wax. Went through a period of time a couple of years ago where my ears were working overtime in the wax factory and plugged up every couple of days.

 

[Uncle Lee]

Get a GOOD set of muffs.
Plugs can work loose and can be of no use at all.
If you have the buzzing, the damage is done.
That is what my ear doctor told me.

 

[Cemetery-man]

Same thing happened to me at the range (shotguns) when I was younger. That was 15 years ago, the ringing is still with me 24/7 and I suffer from about 90% loss in left ear and about 10% loss in right ear. Now I double up on the hearing protection (plugs & muffs) hoping to save what little hearing I have left.

My hope is that you fare far better than I did.

 

[strut70]

Same thing happened to me yesterday.... i got a really nice s&w 6in mdl 19 357 mag
took it out to shoot a couple rounds..Didn,t think a whole lot about it... two shot no ear muffs.......Dumb Dumb Dumb...I forgot how loud a 357 mag was...ears rang for 3 or 4 hrs....

 

[ws6guy]

The ear is doing a lot better today, not quite back to normal but a lot better. I think that I might have had the ear plug in too far. When I repositioned the plug I remember feeling that it went in too far. Maybe the plug was too close the ear drum while I was shooting? Hopefully it keeps getting better!

I will be out to buy some muffs for range duty. Not sure why I haven't bought any in the last 20 years. Heck I even have walkers game ear for hunting but not simple muffs.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

ws, remember that sound also comes in through bone conduction.

I cringe when I see guys at the range with just ear plugs.

Go buy some Peltors and some of those ear socks from Brownell's so your ears don't get all slimy from the sweat.

Hearing Through Your Bones - US News and World Report

Look at this cool guy on the right with his INGO hat and ear socks.

 

[pudly]

Here is a good video on how to use foam earplugs. I'm a proponent of using foam earplugs plus electronic earmuffs for a good combination of hearing protection, plus some capability of hearing voices.

[ame="http://youtu.be/SPNPZJingZA"]http://youtu.be/SPNPZJingZA[/ame]

 

[WebSnyper]

Thanks for the info!! Sitting here watching TV my right ear is definitely muffled. I've never have had this happen with the foam plugs but this was first time firing more than 100 shots at a sitting. I must not have had the right plug in right as the left ear seems completely normal. Funny thing is the gun never seemed loud.

Were you shooting in an enclosed area?

I have had this happen even with muffs when shooting in a somewhat enclosed area (not necessarily completely indoors, but where there are walls/ceiling/baffles, such as some of the ranges at ECPR. I shot some plates there after volunteering at the GSSF match. I had not shot there previously) and the ear that was toward the walled area was muffled for a bit after shooting. Seems like the sound reverb from the wall may have been the issue with my electronic muffs. I never noticed it while shooting.

About 20 years ago, I shot a 357 without proper hearing protection and that was the only other time I had experienced anything like this, although that was much more significant/noticeable than the occasion above.

 

[WebSnyper]

Go buy some Peltors and some of those ear socks from Brownell's so your ears don't get all slimy from the sweat.

Like these?

DELUXE CLOTH EAR MUFF COVERS - Brownells

I'll have to check those out. Thanks for the tip.

 

[LtScott14]

Definitely ear protection! Even then you will experience some loss as you age. Learn about this ASAP. Welcome to the closed caption tv club. When my sons were young, the wife use to nudge me and say "can't you hear them crying?"or the kitchen faucet is dripping again? Nope. Nerve damage from working in the steel industry, rock music, gun fire (with muffs usually), and some inheritence left it's mark. Hearing aids can help you become a listening person, people look at you like you are an old grumpy man, and it's now a different world with living with loss. USE the MUFFS.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I wore Pugs and Muffs shooting in competition growing up from 10 y.o.a. on out to the Marines. Situation always dictates what you have. I'd have a range bag with all the extra goodies in it for those "Dang I wish I would've brought this" moments. Fortunately, I only have service connected Tinitus in both ears and severe hearing loss service connected in my right ear. Guess which side of the bed my wife sleeps on???
I would suggest some military grade 3 baffle, in the ear types for you. It cuts the db's alot better than the foam barely in the ear ones. Then, with your mickeymouse ears on, you should be golden. You should barely hear anyone yelling at you. Then, you mite start to notice the different sounds that your gun makes on trigger take up and other stages of the firing that you really didn't hear before.