Tinnitus After Using a Chainsaw without Hearing Protection — Do I Need to Give Up Shooting Guns?

[phariseo]

Hi guys!

Michal from Poland here.

I developed tinnitus a month ago after following some "great advice" from my father-in-law. He suggested I learn to use a chainsaw without hearing protection so I could better hear his tips and technique suggestions. He said, "I've been using a saw without hearing protection my whole life. Nothing will happen if you do it just once to hear my beginner hints more easily."

For some reason, I listened. I was probably feeling too many positive emotions that day. Plus, he's usually given me good advice in life, so I trusted him. I can't even describe how much I regret it now.

When I told him about my ear problems caused by sawing without protection, he suddenly disappeared from the conversation and started pretending nothing had happened. He even told my wife, "It's impossible that he got it from that one sawing session! He must have had it earlier."

Two days after the incident, I went to an ENT. My audiogram came out perfect. The audiometrist said, "You have the hearing of a baby!" My tinnitus, however, is at about 5–6/10 now. I've been managing with the support of my wife and some amazing "tinnitus relief" videos on YouTube.

I'm trying to stay focused on my passions, as they're the most important part of my life. Unfortunately, one of those passions is sport shooting, which I believe I'll have to give up now. I'm even considering selling my firearms. Any other sport shooters here who've dealt with this?

It's nice to meet you all!
Michal

 

[Mark F.]

Hello, Michal.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. While I'm not a sport shooter myself, my tinnitus also resulted from shooting guns. Perhaps something in my threads or posts could be helpful to you, or maybe some of the other shooters here will share their insights soon.

Hang in there!

 

[phariseo]

Thank you, @Mark F.!

I'll go through your profile after my workday. I still hold on to some hope that things will get a little better for me, and I believe it can happen.

 

[@dam]

Honestly, that's a good question.

I haven't touched guns in about two years. I'm at the stage where I could probably go back—the craving to shoot again is strong. The only problem is that I would never forgive myself if I forgot to put my ear protection back in.

I made that mistake once with a .243. I had those fancy earmuffs with built-in speakers so I could hear normally, but I forgot to put them back on at the range. It hit me hard. The ringing eventually went away, but it probably contributed to my hearing damage.

 

[phariseo]

I visited an ENT today, and the doctor advised me to avoid all loud activities for now, even when using ear protection, due to the risks associated with bone conduction.

The doctor prescribed Prednisone (30 mg for 10 days) and explained that if there is inner ear inflammation, it might still have positive effects even a long time after the trauma occurred.

Currently, my tinnitus is about a 4 to 5 out of 10, not too bad. I feel like I can imagine living with it somehow.

Thank you for your kind words of support. I will report back in a few days after completing the Prednisone course.

 

[LukeYoung]

I visited an ENT today, and the doctor advised me to avoid all loud activities for now, even when using ear protection, due to the risks associated with bone conduction.

The doctor prescribed Prednisone (30 mg for 10 days) and explained that if there is inner ear inflammation, it might still have positive effects even a long time after the trauma occurred.

Currently, my tinnitus is about a 4 to 5 out of 10, not too bad. I feel like I can imagine living with it somehow.

Thank you for your kind words of support. I will report back in a few days after completing the Prednisone course.

I agree with this. It's best to put the guns away. It's probably not worth risking further damage, even for a few minutes of enjoyment. Consider finding other hobbies that are quieter and safer for your ears.

 

[phariseo]

Hi everyone,

I just finished the prednisone course. While it didn't "fix" my tinnitus, the volume has decreased—from around 5-6/10 to 4-5/10, I'd say. It might not seem like a huge difference in numbers, but it's noticeable and clearly measurable.

Let's see what happens in the next few days!

 

[phariseo]

My tinnitus has reduced again recently. Now, I cannot hear it in situations like sitting in a running car, where I could clearly hear it before and needed to play music to mask it.

Occasionally, the "old" tinnitus volume returns briefly in the form of fleeting tinnitus.

Mild hyperacusis is still present, but overall, things are improving.

 

[Fazdoll]

You sound like one of the lucky ones—congrats! I'm 4.5 months in, and while I believe my hearing has improved, the tinnitus hasn't.

 

[Thomas_83]

It's good to hear that you're improving. The vast majority of people see significant progress within 6 to 12 months.

When we think about it, most people who recover tend to leave the forum and move on with their lives. If that weren't the case, the forum would have millions of members and far more posts than it currently does.

Give it a few more months, and things will likely continue to improve.

 

[phariseo]

Happy New Year, tinnitus friends!

I think I've noticed another step forward in my journey. Every few weeks, I take a train to my dry eye clinic. Since the start of my tinnitus experience, I've been wearing earmuffs on the train.

In the beginning, my tinnitus felt very pronounced while wearing earmuffs. However, now it seems to be at a lower volume. Additionally, I've reached a point where I can sleep well without needing white noise or tinnitus therapy sounds, which wasn't possible for me before.

 

[phariseo]

Good afternoon, tinnitus friends!

I am back with another update.

In general, I feel that I am improving. The tinnitus volume has not visibly changed since I last posted here, but overall, it is much more tolerable than it was in the beginning.

Earlier this week, I experienced some loud events (we had a garage sale at work where I bought some furniture very cheaply). At one point, a guy dropped a metal desk frame on the floor. It was completely unexpected and probably over 100 dB. Thankfully, it did not result in any spike, which I am really happy about.

On a more personal note, I still feel upset about my father-in-law ignoring me and pretending like nothing has happened. He has not even called me once to ask how I am feeling.

Some family members think he is feeling bad about it but does not know how to apologize. They say, "He is not a bad guy; he just does not show his emotions because that is how he was raised." I am not so sure. No one brings up the topic at family gatherings to avoid "hurting him by recalling it."

From my perspective, he seems arrogant about the whole situation. All I hear from him are dismissive comments like, "Doctors are lying to you," or "You do not need to avoid loud sounds now," or "It is impossible that you got tinnitus. People have used chainsaws without ear protection for years, and nothing happens to them."

The only hint of regret I have seen was when he once said, "I am feeling goofy that it happened," and told me to "hold up and try to be strong" during one of my visits.

It really feels like he does not care about me, and I think I should avoid any contact with him. Unfortunately, my wife, while respecting my feelings, thinks differently, and my son loves him. They still visit him on Tuesdays for grandpa and grandma day.

Do you have any advice for me on how to handle this situation?

Thank you all so much for your support here. You are all amazing. Any kind of input or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[phariseo]

Yesterday, a "super wise" colleague at work thought it would be funny to approach me from behind and shout something very loudly, right next to my head.

As a result, I experienced immediate ear fullness. Fortunately, I haven't noticed a significant spike from it so far.

Lesson learned. I ordered custom-molded musician earplugs today and plan to wear them everywhere outside my own house.