New Member

Hey, I've always had tinnitus for as long as I can remember but it's never bothered me. I asked my parents about it when I was a kid and they indicated that it was normal.

I went to the outdoor shooting range about 2 weeks ago and was wearing 33db ear plugs and was wearing them properly. I shot someone else's rifle with a muzzle break and I got some temporary tinnitus in my right ear from one of the 3 shots. It lasted a minute or so. I always use hearing protection (even when going to concerts) so I was surprised to have some ringing while wearing ear protection.

Everything seemed to go back to normal (I was actually in the recording studio that week and didn't notice a thing.

A few days later (maybe like 4) I I became paranoid that I damaged my ear. I started noticing a fullness in it and I think maybe there's a slightly higher level of tinnitus in the right ear now. I do notice sometimes tinnitus in that ear when the TV gets loud. I'm not sure if it's always been this way and I just started noticing it because of that scare with the rifle or if that actually did something to my ear.

I think it's gotten better though I'm not sure. Could this be a temporary thing?

I have OCD so I wonder if it's just my brain all of a sudden making more out of something that has always been there.

 

Alexander,

Welcome to the site.

My advice is, leave the guns alone! Even with hearing protection, noise of that level, travels through your bones and can aggravate your T and auditory nerve.

Protect yourself and your hearing at all costs!

Sailboardman