Peninsula Hearing Center

(619) 569-1937 San Diego, CA

(858) 768-0454 La Jolla, CA

Safeguard Your Ears from Hearing Loss: Wear Ear Protection While Shooting

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 30 million American adults are exposed to

dangerous noise levels every day; and twenty-two million of those individuals between the ages of 20 and 69 have already suffered irreversible hearing loss.

Did you know that a single shotgun blast registers at 140-170 decibels (dB)? And that when something with that decibel rating is heard at close range it can permanently damage your hearing? In fact, anything over 85 dB (that’s the decibel rating for city traffic) can harm your ability to hear.

This type of hearing damage is known as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and can occur in a one-time exposure to loud noise or over an extended period of time. That is why it is so important for shooters to wear ear protection when hunting or going to target practice.

The best way to protect your ears from ear-splitting gunshot noise is to wear earplugs, earmuffs, or eye safety glasses that come with built in ear protection. If you experience sudden hearing loss, if sounds are muffled or if you have ringing in your

ears, do not hesitate to see your doctor.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov

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